“They tried to kill me, but I won’t go down”: Kevin Strickland shares story during St. Joseph Juneteenth

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- During St. Joseph Juneteenth celebrations, Kevin Strickland was invited to share his fight for justice after being wrongfully convicted for a crime back in 1979.

For 43 years, Kevin Strickland sat behind bars for a crime he did not commit.

Convicted in 1979 for a triple murder in Kansas City, Strickland maintained his innocence through four decades of imprisonment.

In 2021, he was finally exonerated, but his fight for justice did not end when the prison gates opened.

Today, Strickland wears a necklace with the number "43" around his neck.

Every year, he gets a new one, a reminder of the time stolen from him and a symbol of his continued mission to advocate for others who remain wrongfully incarcerated.

"They tried to kill me. But I won't go down," Strickland said, reflecting on the moment he walked out of prison.

Strickland was released with no compensation from the state, left to navigate a world that had changed drastically during his more than four decades behind bars.

Adjusting to society has been difficult, he admits, but he has channeled his pain into purpose.

"It doesn't make me feel good, and it's just awful," Strickland said. "It makes me feel sad knowing that there are many more people left behind like that."

He now shares his story at events across the region, recently traveling to St. Joseph at the invitation of Kristina Buchanan, a local advocate who first learned about Strickland's case through her law student daughter.

Buchanan said Strickland's experience exposed deep flaws in the criminal justice system.

"He got lost in and shuffled into that system and barely made his way safely through that," Buchanan said. "But for me, that is the bigger issue. He's not alone. We're glad that he's home now, but it's a big problem."

Strickland has become a vocal advocate for recognizing Juneteenth as more than just a calendar date.

He believes the federal holiday provides a critical platform to discuss wrongful convictions and the work still needed to address systemic injustices.

"It's time that people recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday," Strickland said. "Because most people still consider it as just passed by today. But it's important because I like to continue to bring awareness to conviction, and it's a prime time to do that."

Strickland is also urging the public to support the Innocence Project, an organization dedicated to exonerating the wrongly convicted.

He says donations, volunteer work, and awareness are all desperately needed.

"We need more help freeing the innocent," Strickland said. "They need donations and they need support and they need volunteer workers. It's a good cause. Anything anybody can do to help support their cause and keep the project working would be a lovable thing to do. A wonderful thing to do."

Throughout his ordeal, Strickland has held onto one core belief, that truth, no matter how long it takes, will ultimately prevail.

"Never give up," he said. "And if you write about something and it's true, the truth will prevail. It might take a little longer than what you might have wished for, but you stay true to what's right, and you'll come out on top."

Strickland says he will keep telling his story as long as it takes, because for him, freedom is not just about walking out of prison, it is about making sure no one else has to wait 43 years for justice.