KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Strangers have donated more than a million dollars to a Kansas City man who was freed after spending 43 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
Kevin Strickland was released from a Missouri prison Tuesday afternoon, more than four decades after a judge sentenced him for killing three people.
Shortly after Strickland was freed, someone started a GoFundMe fundraiser to benefit him. In less than two days, more than $1 million has been donated. The original goal was $430,000. Strangers have donated anywhere from $10 to $8,000.
Many of the donors expressed outrage that the 62-year-old wouldn’t receive compensation from Missouri. The state only allows wrongful imprisonment payments to people exonerated through DNA evidence, so Strickland doesn’t qualify.
Strickland will also be the guest of Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas Friday night. He will flip the switch to turn on thelights for the Mayor’s Christmas Tree at Crown Center.
