US EditionKansas deputy charged with murder in the death of a man in custody
Richard Fatherley faces up to 41 years in prison after the death of inmate Charles Adair, who died from mechanical asphyxia during a jail altercation involving prone restraint.
- Richard Fatherley, a deputy sheriff employed in Wyandotte County, has been formally charged with second-degree murder in connection to the death of inmate Charles Adair on July 5, 2025, at a Kansas City detention facility.
- The charge follows Adair's death during a struggle involving prone restraint, where Fatherley knelt on Adair's back, according to court and investigation reports.
- Adair, 50, was arrested on misdemeanor warrants and had been treated for a leg wound before the incident, which led to him becoming unresponsive and later pronounced dead.
- The autopsy by Dr. Feng Li ruled the cause of death as complications of mechanical asphyxia with contributing cardiovascular and liver diseases, and the death was officially classified as homicide.
- Richard Fatherley, currently a deputy with the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office, has been placed on unpaid leave while awaiting the outcome of his second-degree murder charge; his court hearing is scheduled for November 18, 2025, and if convicted, he faces a prison sentence ranging from 109 to 493 months.
32 Articles
32 Articles
Associated Press News
Kansas deputy charged with murder in the death of a man in custody
A Kansas sheriff’s deputy has been charged with murder in the death of an inmate who sustained broken ribs after his back was kneeled on after he was wheeled from the infirmary to his cell.
DA files murder charges against deputy in Wyandotte County inmate's death
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office has filed charges against a sheriff's deputy in connection with the death of an inmate back in July. Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree on Thursday charged Richard Fatherley with second-degree murder/reckless or in the alternative involuntary manslaughter. Former Missouri police officer charged in child's drowning death According to the Kansas Bureau of Investi…
Wyandotte County jail guard charged in the murder of inmate killed by controversial restraint
A coroner's report found that 50-year-old Charles Adair died by "mechanical asphyxia" at the Wyandotte County Detention Center after a deputy kneeled on his back and restrained him. A similar tactic caused the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 61% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
