A Scot who has been on death row for more than 20 years has had his conviction overturned for a second time.
A Scot who has been on death row for more than 20 years has had his conviction overturned for a second time.
It means the state of Ohio may release Kenny Richey or retry his case within 90 days. A similar decision in 2005 was thrown out by the US Supreme Court.
The appeal of that decision was one of the last open to Richey, 43, who was convicted of arson and murder in Ohio in 1986 and sentenced to death on January 27, 1987.
He has been on death row since his conviction over the death of two-year-old Cynthia Kay Collins, who died in a house fire, but has always protested his innocence.
Campaigners said evidence has since emerged that casts doubt on Richey's guilt, but it has not been heard in court.
Amnesty International UK welcomed the latest decision by the 6th Circuit Federal Court of Appeal in Cincinnati.
John Watson, Amnesty International Scotland director, said: "This is fantastic news and represents the opportunity that Kenny's long fought for - the chance to clear his name in a proper trial.
"Nobody should be sent to the living hell of death row, but Kenny Richey's 20-year ordeal came after a flawed trial and serious concerns about the Ohio justice system.
"On the one hand it is disturbing that it has taken this long for Ohio to look again at Kenny's case, but now at least Kenny may be on the road to release."
Richey's lawyer, Ken Parsigian, said that the state has 90 days to release Richey, appeal the decision or retry the case.
He said: "I got a phone call to say his conviction had been reversed. Kenny is happy, but he is cautious. It is a giant leap, over a giant hurdle, but we are not at the finish line yet." Richey, whose mother is Scottish and who grew up in Edinburgh, is also the subject of a long-standing campaign from a Scottish anti-death penalty campaigner and his former fiancee, Karen Torley.
Ms Torley said: "I am absolutely delighted at the news; it's been a long, long time coming. We're now hoping that he does get a retrial, so that Kenny has the chance to clear his name. I have always had full confidence in the fact that Kenny is absolutely innocent, and now Kenny's one vital step closer to proving that to the world."
Amnesty International said it repeatedly asked the UK government to maintain pressure on the US in line with the government's policy of opposing the death penalty in all instances. The case has also attracted appeals on Richey's behalf from the late Pope John Paul II and the former Archbishop of Canterbury.
