Kenny Richey, the Scot who spent 20 years on death row in the US, is on his way home.
Kenny Richey, the Scot who spent 20 years on death row in the US, has arrived back home in Edinburgh.
Richey, who grew up in Edinburgh, was freed after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors over an arson attack in which a two-year-old girl died in 1986.
Richey, 43, was freed after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors in Ohio over an arson attack in which two-year-old Cynthia Collins died in 1986.
His flight from Chicago to Heathrow was cancelled due to bad weather.
His flight touched down at Edinburgh Airport at 1734 GMT.
His solicitor Ken Parsigian said he had instead boarded a flight to Frankfurt in Germany. He is then expected to catch a connecting flight to Edinburgh.
Richey left Edinburgh aged 18 to live with his American father in Ohio. After his release he said he was looking forward to going home to Scotland.
He is expected to arrive later on Wednesday.
No contest
The 43-year-old has spent his first day of freedom being reunited with family members.
Mr Parsigian said Richey had a steak lunch with family members before spending the evening with his brother.
Mr Parsigian said Richey had a "really loving, warm, lovely, private time" at lunch.
He said: "He got a New York strip, and he was happy."
"He then spent the evening with his family and reconnected with many people."
He got into civilian clothes for the first time, and he seemed to transform into a civilian. It was quite a smooth transition, I was surprised Ken ParsigianRichey's lawyer Timeline: Richey's release
Richey, who left his mother's home in Edinburgh at the age of 18 to live with his American father in Ohio, was convicted in 1987 of the arson attack on an apartment block in an Ohio town in which two-year-old Cynthia Collins died.
But in August last year the sentence was overturned. On Monday, he pleaded no contest to charges of attempted involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and breaking and entering at the Putnam County Common Pleas Court in Ottawa, Ohio.
He was sentenced to a total of 21 years - time which he has already served, most of it on death row.
His first night of freedom was spent with his brother Steven.
PR guru Max Clifford, who is representing Richey, revealed the 43-year-old has sold his story to two newspapers which will whisk him away when he arrives in Edinburgh.
Richey's lawyer said that, despite fears Richey would be overwhelmed by the outside world after years in prison, he appeared to be adjusting well.
'Warm and loving'
Ken Parsigian said: "There was much more anxiety before the actual day than on the actual day."
He said: "He got into civilian clothes for the first time, and he seemed to transform into a civilian. It was quite a smooth transition, I was surprised."
"It was almost like the clothes made the difference."
Many people can seem "cold and distant" after so many years locked away, but for Richey the opposite seemed true, the lawyer said.
"He was warm and loving and comfortable with it right away," he said.
After his release, Richey thanked all those who "never doubted my innocence" and said he was looking forward to "going home to Scotland".
