On behalf of Rick and our family, we are sincerely humbled and deeply grateful for all of your support

Rick has maintained his innocence for the past thirty years. It is abundantly clear that he did not have effective legal counsel and there have not been any change in three decades to support the prosecutor's original accusations with regard to lack of evidence and no witnesses. Throughout incarceration, Rick has consistantly explemified positive lifestyle choices to better himself through educational accomplishments, morale maturity and employment advancements.  

Missouri Governor Parson has pardoned or commuted more sentences than all three previous Governors combined, allowing Rick an opportunity for a full pardon request. 

He is the only person on death row that had his sentence commuted based on the facts in the case. Rick's legal team is prepared and committed for continuous representation and will make a case for Rick's parole. 

Through the gracious efforts of our new legal team (reputable St. Louis criminal defense attorneys Alec Rosenblum and Tom Robbins and Executive branch specialist / Missouri Lobbyist Richard McIntosh), they will continue to advocate on Rick's behalf, presenting their legal review brief, along with a list of Rick’s significant level of accomplishments while in prison. The goal is to present a current holistic view of Rick verses how he was incorrectly portrayed at his trial and throughout multiple media platforms.

• POSITIVE FIRST STEP: The January meeting with the Governor’s legal counsel and staff was a positive first step. Several issues were discussed and a third of the meeting was spent reviewing Rick's pardon request. Rick's legal team presented their case, which included all of the valuable points stated in the pardon request letters and emails from Rick's numerous supporters, as well as their legal interpretations and analysis of Rick’s case.
• PARDON REQUEST LETTERS WERE EXCEPTIONAL! The Governor’s staff stated the personal letters and emails were remarkable and encouraged more of them. Also, they noted the impressive list of Rick’s incarceration achievements and accomplishments. Rick remained true to his word when he told his mother that he would be a positive exemplary inmate in prison.
• PROCESS EXPECTATION: We are at the beginning of many steps in a lengthy pardon evaluation process, which can be expected to take many months. The Governor’s office advised the next step will be for the legal team to send the formal pardon request and Rick’s information packet onto the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole Board for their verification and review. Once their recommendation is made, they will share with the Governor for his examination and final pardon decision.
• HOW YOU CAN HELP: Please continue to write letters and send them to the legal team! This is a quick and easy way to demonstrate support and much needed encouragement! The volume of recently received letters were very effective and impactful during the first Governor's staff meeting. We could not have accomplished that without each of YOU! We would like to sustain this momentum each month as we move forward and sincerely welcome your help to do so. If you haven't written your letter just yet, it's not too late. We will graciously receive them (see the "How You Can Help" section on this site).
  
  Please continue to check back regarding the latest updates. We will post recent progress and next steps here as we move forward. We appreciate your patience, prayers, and continued support. For any questions, please email us at: admin@justiceforrickclay.com