Biography
Richard Burkhart was wrongfully imprisoned for the 2001 killing of William Ledeau in Great Falls, Montana. Arrested on December 10, 2001, he was convicted in September 2002 and sentenced to life with parole eligibility after thirty years. His co-defendant Michael Staley later recanted the testimony used to convict him. The Montana Innocence Project also uncovered an undisclosed police report pointing to other suspects.
A judge granted Burkhart a new trial on November 23, 2016, and prosecutors dismissed the murder charge on December 29, 2017. He remained imprisoned under a separate ten-year sentence for participating in a prison riot. Burkhart has said that he did not start the disturbance or destroy property and was trying to protect his friends. He was physically released on September 14, 2018, after completing that term.