By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A federal judge granted compassionate release and vacated the life sentence of Richard W. Brown, convicted in a 1988 arson that killed six Kansas City firefighters.
• The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri credited Brown for time served and ordered him released with five years of supervised release.
• Brown was 18 at the time of the construction site fire that led to the deaths, and the judge cited “extraordinary and compelling circumstances” in the decision.
• Prosecutors have filed a motion to reconsider and stay the release order while pursuing an appeal.
• Brown must pay restitution as part of his release terms.
KANSAS CITY, MO — A federal judge has granted compassionate release to Richard W. Brown, who had been serving a life sentence for his role in a 1988 arson that killed six Kansas City firefighters, vacating the sentence and ordering his immediate release with supervised release, court records show.
The decision by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri credited Brown for nearly 29 years served and imposed five years of supervised release, court filings state, and included a restitution requirement for the Kansas City Fire Department.
Brown was 18 at the time of the highway construction site fire near East 87th Street and Blue River Road that led to a massive explosion and the deaths of six firefighters responding to the scene in November 1988.
U.S. prosecutors have filed a motion seeking reconsideration of the compassionate release order and a stay of the decision as they pursue an appeal in the U.S. District Court, arguing factors including sentencing guideline application.
The case remains active in federal court as the appeal process unfolds and Brown is expected to begin supervised release upon his discharge from custody.