Wyandotte DA: Sheriff’s deputy charged with murder of inmate won’t be arrested
A local sheriff’s deputy who is facing charges of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter will be free from police custody for the next two months, Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree said during a Thursday afternoon news conference.
He’s due in court in November but will not be arrested or booked into the county jail in the meantime.
Richard Fatherley, an employee of the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office, is facing a maximum 33 years in prison if convicted for his role in the death of 50-year-old inmate Charles Adair.
The district attorney’s office on Thursday charged Fatherley with Adair’s death, which was ruled a homicide.
Adair died in the county jail in July while he was being held for failing to appear in court for traffic offense.
The Star reported earlier this week that an autopsy report revealed one of the officers knelt on Adair’s back during an altercation. Investigators said Adair’s death was caused by a force that deterred his breathing. Contributing factors included a cardiovascular disease and hepatic cirrhosis connected to alcoholism.
Despite the fact that Fatherley is facing a murder charge, the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office has decided he will not be detained before appearing in court on Nov. 18, Dupree said.
“He received that summons this afternoon from a law enforcement officer and that is common practice in this county when there are charges for officers,” Dupree said. “... He was in fact cooperative with the investigation with the Bureau of Investigation and I do not believe that it was a concern for this office on whether or not he would continue to cooperate.”
Fatherley has worked for the sheriff’s department since May 9, 2024, and is not a certified law enforcement officer, Dupree said.
The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office has placed Fatherley on unpaid administrative leave until the case’s outcome is determined, a department spokesperson told The Star.
The Star’s Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kendrick Calfee and Caroline Zimmerman contributed.
This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 1:12 PM.
