Richard Armitage Murder – Richard Buchli was convicted guilty of the first-degree murder of Richard Armitage, a well-known transplant lawyer in Kansas City. On the afternoon of May 5, 2000, Armitage was found beaten to death in his downtown Kansas City office. Initially, Richard Buchli was charged with murder, but the charges were dropped in April 2001 because prosecutors were not ready to go to trial. On January 24, this year, he was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal behaviour.
In May 2000, lawyer Richard Armitage was beaten to death inside his downtown law office in Kansas City, Missouri, in one of the most brutal murders in the city’s history. Surprisingly, the case was difficult to solve because the crime scene yielded little evidence, and the authorities had no leads to pursue.
‘Crime Scene Confidential: Doing Right By Richard,’ a documentary on Investigation Discovery, chronicles the horrible murder and reveals how the case was dismissed ten years later. Let’s take a closer look at the case and see what we can learn.
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What Caused Richard Armitage’s Death?
Richard Armitage, who lived in Kansas City, Missouri, was a happy family man. He worked as an attorney specialising in organ transplant law, as well as running a collecting agency on the side. Richard’s friends and family characterised him as an honourable and industrious man who was always willing to go the additional mile to help someone in need. Furthermore, Richard had a friendly relationship with the majority of people, which made his murder all the more tragic.
On May 5, 2000, officers responded to a report of a critically injured person in a downtown Kansas City skyscraper, only to discover Richard Armitage fallen on his office floor. According to the evidence, Richard was assaulted while sitting at his table, and someone yanked him from his chair before dumping him on the floor. The entire room was covered in blood splatters, and the savagery of the act made it seem personal.
Richard, however, was still alive, much to everyone’s surprise, and first responders rushed him to a nearby hospital. His injuries were too severe, and Richard died; as a result, turning the incident into a homicide. Richard was violently battered to death with a blunt object, according to an autopsy.
Who Killed Richard Armitage and Why?
Authorities discovered that Richard shared his office space with another attorney called Richard Buchli when they began their investigation. Buchli was on the scene when the cops arrived to answer to the 911 call, and he was the one who helped Richard relocate from his chair to the floor.
When pressed, Buchli claimed that he had taken Richard to the floor to assess his injuries and administer CPR if necessary. Moreover, despite the fact that Richard’s blood was all over his shoes and clothing, he maintained his innocence and denied any involvement in the crime.
Because there was insufficient evidence to arrest Buchli at the time, the police launched a thorough investigation into Richard’s personal and business relationships. They performed hundreds of interviews and even attempted to ascertain whether Richard’s collecting agency had turned him into a murderous enemy.
Nonetheless, most of Richard’s friends remarked on how kind he was and how he never held grudges against anyone. Unfortunately, detectives were sent back to square one after receiving no leads from the crime scene and no prospective persons of interest.
Refusing to give up, the cops discovered that the entire downtown Kansas City building was covered in security cameras, providing them with a precise timeframe and other leads. As a result, detectives watched through hours of footage before declaring that they had enough evidence to convict Buchli.
The CCTV evidence led authorities to assume Buchli had enough time to attack Richard, clean himself off, and then pretend to find the body, according to the show. Buchli was arrested and charged with murder after the CCTV evidence was combined with the blood found on his shoes and shirt.
What Has Happened to Richard Buchli and Where Is He Now?
Richard Buchli was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2022 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In 2006, however, a judge reversed his conviction, citing the prosecution’s failure to present the defence with all CCTV footage. Prosecutors tried to bring Buchli back to court in 2008, but dissatisfaction with evidence disclosure became a common factor, causing the trial to be delayed.
Finally, in 2010, a judge threw out all of the evidence, declaring that the prosecution would no longer be able to use the old evidence against Buchli. As a result, the prosecution was forced to withdraw due to a lack of evidence, and Buchli walked free. Furthermore, the Missouri Supreme Court reinstated Richard Buchli’s legal licence in 2014, allowing him to practise law in Missouri once more.
Buchli is currently based in Kansas City, Missouri, where he practises law. He also appears to have made a lovely life for himself, surrounded by family and friends. However, the show stated that Richard Armitage’s family members are still grieving over his death and believe that justice was not served in this instance.
