KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A federal judge granted Richard W. Brown, one of six defendants convicted in the 1988 deaths of six Kansas City, Missouri, firefighters, compassionate release from federal prison on Friday.
The judge ordered Brown be credited for time served and given immediate release from prison, according to a court record.
Brown will be on supervised release for five years.
The motion for his release included several arguments that Brown should be released after being sentenced to life in prison.
"Given Mr. Brown’s young age at the time of this offense, his efforts toward reformation, and his decades of incarceration, further imprisonment would exceed what is necessary to achieve the goals of punishment, deterrence, and rehabilitation. Further, his mother has serious health conditions that will require care and support for years to come."
Bryan Sheppard, the youngest person convicted in the firefighter's deaths, was released from prison in 2017 after serving nearly 22 years behind bars. Another defendant, Skip Sheppard, died in prison in 2009.
Darlene Edwards and Frank Sheppard remain in federal prison.
The explosions came from two trailers used to store 25,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate at a construction site near 87th Street and Blue River Road in south Kansas City.
The first blast instantly killed KCFD Captains Gerald O'Halloran and James Kilventon, along with firefighters Thomas Fry, Luther Hurd, Michael Oldham and Robert McKarnin.
A large memorial service for the fallen firefighters was held at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, known simply as Arrowhead Stadium at the time.
There is a memorial dedicated to the six victims not far from the explosion site, along with the Firefighters Fountain and Memorial on West 31st Street in KCMO.
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