KANSAS CITY, Mo., Feb. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight announced today that the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri granted compassionate release to Richard W. Brown, vacating his life sentence and resentencing him to time served with five years of supervised release.
The underlying conviction arose from the November 29, 1988 explosions at a southeast Kansas City highway construction site, where fires at a storage trailer containing approximately 25,000 pounds of explosives led to an explosion that killed six Kansas City firefighters, followed by a second explosion from a nearby trailer containing approximately 30,000 pounds of explosives. In 1997, Mr. Brown and co-defendants were convicted of aiding and abetting an act of arson resulting in the deaths of six firefighters, and Mr. Brown was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Mr. Brown initially filed for compassionate release pro se on March 6, 2023. Sanford Heisler then entered the case and advanced an amended motion and a supplemental motion on July 8 and October 27, 2025, respectively. Co-Vice Chairman Kevin Sharp, Of Counsel Bob Sullivan and Associate Erica Roberts of Sanford Heisler serve as counsel for Mr. Brown.
On February 27, 2026, the Court granted compassionate release to Mr. Brown. Notably, the Court found extraordinary and compelling reasons based on Mr. Brown’s age at the time of the offense, only thirty-four weeks past his eighteenth birthday, and his substantial rehabilitation, including earning a GED, completing numerous educational courses, holding work details, leadership roles, and maintaining a clean disciplinary record for over a decade.
In its reasoning, the Court emphasized Mr. Brown’s youth at the time of the offense and the weight of contemporary understanding regarding adolescent immaturity, susceptibility, salvageability, and dependency, as well as his extensive rehabilitation, in determining that a reduced sentence is sufficient but not greater than necessary. The Court underscored that Mr. Brown’s proximity to juvenile status at the time of the offense is highly relevant, aligning with jurisprudence and research recognizing the diminished culpability of late adolescents and the reduced weight of penological goals when applied to youthful offenders. The Court noted the disparity in this case: Mr. Brown’s co-defendant Bryan Sheppard, who was a few months younger, qualified for resentencing and received twenty years, while Mr. Brown, only slightly older, had already served nine additional years.
The Court further considered the nature of the offence, and highlighted statements made by the trial judge, that he did not believe that the defendants intentionally with malice and forethought set out to kill the firefighters. Accordingly, the Court vacated Mr. Brown’s life sentence, resentenced him to time served, imposed five years of supervised release, waived any fine based on inability to pay, and ordered joint and several restitution of $536,000 to the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department.
“We are grateful the Court recognized that Richard’s youth at the time of the offense and his transformation over nearly three decades warranted a second look,” said Kevin Sharp, Co-Vice Chairman and counsel for Mr. Brown. Erica Roberts, Associate and counsel for Mr. Brown, is also pleased with the Court’s decision: “Richard has invested in his education, worked consistently, and maintained an exemplary record in his decades of incarceration. We look forward to his reunion with his family and his successful return to his community.”
As we celebrate this outcome, we honor the memory of the firefighters lost and reaffirm our commitment to a system that recognizes youth-related factors, corrects unwarranted disparities through compassionate release, and allows individuals who have transformed to return to their families and communities with hope.
About Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight
Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight is a public interest and civil rights law firm with offices in New York, Washington, DC, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Nashville, and San Diego. The firm focuses on executive representation, wrongful termination, employment discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, wage theft and overtime violations, whistleblower and qui tam, sexual violence, Title IX violations and victims’ rights, financial mismanagement and ERISA litigation, and Asian American litigation and finance matters. Our lawyers have recovered over $5 billion for our clients through many verdicts and settlements.
In 2024, Forbes named Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight Chairman and Co-Founder David Sanford to its inaugural list of America’s Top 200 Lawyers. The National Law Journal has selected Sanford Heisler Sharp McKnight as Civil Rights Firm of the Year, and it has recognized the firm as both Employment Rights Firm of the Year and Human Rights Firm of the Year. Benchmark Litigation has named the firm Labor & Employment Firm of the Year, and Law360 has recognized the firm as Employment Practice Group of the Year.
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