KANSAS CITY — A Wyandotte County sheriff’s deputy has been charged with murder following the in-custody death of inmate Charles Adair this summer, authorities announced July 18.
Richard Fatherley, a local jail deputy, faces charges of second-degree murder and felony involuntary manslaughter related to the July 5 death of 50-year-old Adair at the Kansas City, Kansas jail.
An autopsy ruled Adair’s death a homicide caused by complications from mechanical asphyxia, meaning death due to suffocation or strangulation.
Fatherley, who also worked in the courthouse, is currently on unpaid administrative leave. According to District Attorney Mark Dupree, investigators do not believe the death was intentional.
Adair had been booked into the jail one day before his death for failure to appear in court on misdemeanor traffic violations. He was initially treated for a pre-existing leg wound in the infirmary.
According to the investigation, a struggle occurred while Adair was being returned to his cell. After being placed on the lower bunk and handcuffs removed, officers left the cell. Adair was found unresponsive seven minutes later and pronounced dead approximately an hour after.
Fatherley was issued a summons to appear in court in November rather than being immediately arrested, a practice the DA described as common for law enforcement officers.
If convicted, Fatherley faces up to 52.5 years in prison.
