Richey rides off with his freedom

OTTAWA — 4:45 p.m., Jan. 7 — Kenneth Richey dined on New York strip steak and onion rings at a Lima restaurant today. Most importantly to the 43-year-old man, he dined as a free man.Richey rode away from the Putnam County Jail a free man today and toward a new life of freedom. Yelling out a car, the former death row inmate simply shouted out his intentions to share the company of a woman.He headed to the Applebee's along Interstate 75 in Lima, enjoying his New York strip steak — medium on the inside, burnt on the edges — and an order of onion rings. He sipped on Diet Pepsi. For dessert, he split strawberry cheesake with his ex-wife, Wendy, who he said he hopes to reunite with now that he's free.Richey pleaded no contest to attempted involuntary manslaughter, child endangering, and breaking and entering in connection with the 1986 death of 2-year-old Cynthia Collins. Visiting Judge Alan Travis sentenced Richey to 21 years in prison then gave him credit for time served. Richey was processed at the Putnam County Jail in about 10 minutes and then given his freedom . As part of the agreement, Travis ordered Richey couldn't return to Putnam County for at least five years after he leaves Tuesday morning. He also can't have contact with any of the victims.Richey said he was riding off to have lunch with his family.At the hearing, Richey dressed in the clothes of a free man — a black shirt with a tie — and not the jail garb he’s worn for the past 21 years.Richey, 43, has spent the past 21 years of his life on Ohio’s death row following his conviction at a 1987 trial over the fire death of Collins. Collins was killed June 30, 1986, in a Columbus Grove apartment fire.Richey came within an hour of execution once.Richey, who has maintained his innocence throughout, was awarded a new trial in August when the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled he didn’t receive adequate legal representation at his 1987 trial. He was to be retried on the original charges and again face the death penalty, but today’s hearing ends that and gives him his freedom back. Read more about this story later today on limaohio.com and in Tuesday's The Lima News.