KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Wyandotte District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday it filed second-degree murder, reckless, or in the alternative, an involuntary manslaughter charge against Richard Fatherly in the July 5, 2025, death of Wyandotte County jail inmate Charles Adair.
Adair, 50, died during a struggle with jail employees that included one jail officer kneeling on Adair's back.
Fatherly served in the Wyandotte County Detention Center, but was not a certified law enforcement officer, according to Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree.
He was employed by the Wyandotte County Sheriff's Department since May 9, 2024.
Watch Dupree's full comments in the video player below.
He was placed on unpaid administrative leave.
The Wyandotte County Sheriff's Department sent KSHB 41 a statement on the case:
"As is our standard practice, Deputy Fatherley has been placed on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of the criminal charges in this case. The administrative investigation being done by the Sheriff’s Office is ongoing."
"From the beginning of this incident the Sheriff's Office has complied with state law in our prompt notification to the KBI and our cooperation with them during this investigation. That cooperation will continue as this case moves through the criminal justice system, and a disposition is reached."
"At this time, we have no further comment."
Fatherly, if convicted of second-degree murder, would face 109 to 493 months in prison, according to Dupree.
If convicted of the alternate charge, involuntary manslaughter, he would face 31 to 136 months in prison.
The autopsy report states Adair "went unresponsive" during the struggle, and an EMS crew ordered to the scene pronounced Adair dead.
Information from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation stated Adair received medical care at about 8:30 p.m. for a preexisting leg wound
Adair began yelling, refusing efforts to calm him down, and did not obey orders from jail employees, according to the KBI.
The internal examination during the autopsy revealed "multiple rib fractures and a sternal fracture, bilateral pleural effusions, cardiomegaly with biventricular hypertrophy, a pacemaker with two wires, marked pulmonary congestion and edema, micronodular cirrhosis of the liver, and benign nephrosclerosis, scars and cysts of the kidneys."
Senior Associate Medical Examiner, Dr. Feng Li, stated in his autopsy report, "Based upon the circumstances surrounding death, as currently known, the cause of death is complications of mechanical asphyxia. Contributory causes of death include hypertensive cardiovascular disease and hepatic cirrhosis due to chronic alcoholism. The manner of death is consistent with homicide."
Adair's death was ruled a homicide on Sept. 5, two months after he died.
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