Richey case unlike anything the courthouse has seen

OTTAWA — Without a doubt, Kenneth Richey’s hearing and subsequent release Monday was a scene unlike anything seen before at the Putnam County Courthouse.By noon, dozens of reporters lined a blocked-off Court Street in downtown Ottawa.Television trucks were parked all around with satellite dishes on top, pointing to the sky.Some of the reporters waited for two hours or more for the 43-year-old Richey, who eventually appeared in street clothing, wearing a tie and a black dress shirt.Their wait, however, paled in comparison to the wait of Richey, who spent nearly 21 years on Ohio’s death row.The weather was unseasonably warm and pleasant, so many of the television reporters took their broadcasts outside, near the front lawn of the courthouse. Meanwhile, inside, the assortment of reporters filling the courthouse indicated how much attention the case had drawn. Some were from local media outlets. Some were from around the state. Others came from as far away as Scotland and England.Among those from Scotland was David Cowan, of Scottish Television. Cowan echoed the sentiments of many in his country, where they don’t have the death penalty.“He’s been cleared of murder,” Cowan said outside the courtroom, during the hearing. “But he’s still a convicted criminal. … There will be mixed feelings [in Scotland]. A lot of people believe he is innocent. … He most certainly did not deserve the death penalty.”Among the people crowding the first and third floors of the courthouse — in addition to the reporters, the members of Richey’s family, and the family of the victim, 2-year-old Cynthia Collins — were several residents of the county who wanted to watch the hearing firsthand.Toots Meyer and Beulah Lanwehr, both of Ottawa, went to the courthouse carrying signs in support of Richey. One said “Good Luck Kenney” while the other read “We’re happy for you.”“I am impressed by his lawyers,” Meyer said. “If they hadn’t done this [for free] he wouldn’t have gotten out.”Lanwehr and Meyer said they remember the initial trial.“I thought he was guilty at the time,” Lanwehr said. “But I have changed my mind.”Before and after the 1 p.m. hearing, Richey was surrounded by deputies of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.Sheriff James Beutler said about 20 deputies, along with officers of the Ottawa Police Department, provided extra security because there were safety concerns after threats were made from both sides in the case.Beutler said the case was one of the most high-profile cases at the courthouse in recent history — if it were not the most high-profile case there yet.Officials at the courthouse said Richey’s case was a change of pace because of the international interest and the large crowd of reporters.“We get high-profile cases,” said Teresa Lammers, clerk of courts, “but not very often and not as big as this. … It’s made life a little busier.”After the hearing, Richey was escorted to a sheriff’s cruiser waiting alongside the courthouse in one of several areas closed off with yellow tape.When the cruiser left, it sent numerous reporters on a frenzied rush to the Putnam County Jail.Several minutes later, as reporters continued to arrive at the jail, Richey left in a vehicle driven by his attorney.Reporters chased down that vehicle on foot and were able to get Richey to answer a few questions before he read a statement and left for lunch with his family.bri