Richard Jordan is scheduled for execution on June 25, 2025 in Mississippi for the 1976 murder of Edwina Marter.

Richard is one of the longest serving individuals on death row in the United States. He has spent nearly HALF A CENTURY on death row. Richard is also an Army Veteran who served 3 voluntary tours of duty in Vietnam from 1966-1969. Only in recent years did attorneys representing him have him evaluated for PTSD. As a result of his service in Vietnam, it is no surprise that 3 different medical evaluations determined that he does suffer from PTSD - a major mitigating factor that has NEVER been heard in court. The Mississippi Supreme Court has already denied relief to Richard based on this information and he is awaiting a decision by the US Supreme Court.

Join the Virtual Sit In

Call Governor Reeves at 601-359-3150 with the following message:

"Hi. My name is [your name]. I am calling request that Gov. Reeves intervenes to halt the 6/25 execution of Richard Jordan. Nothing can undo the terrible harm Richard committed nearly half a century ago, but his tremendous transformation to be a force for good in the years that followed should count for something. Richard served our country honorably, and like many who return from combat, experiences PTSD. Richard's jury never had the opportunity to hear about his combat service-- if they did, Richard might not have been sentenced to death. Thank you."

"It is said that when the State executes the condemned, they kill the entire person—not just the person at the time of the offense. In Richard Gerald Jordan’s case, the entire person includes a kind man, who grew up in Petal, Mississippi, in a devout church-going family, and is remembered as being a good son and brother.

Right out of high school, Richard volunteered to serve our country during the Vietnam War. He then re-enlisted to allow his younger brother to return home from the war. After being deployed in combat in Vietnam for a lengthy period, Richard eventually returned home. But he didn’t return home the same man. Richard left Vietnam traumatized, and he still suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The United States Supreme Court has stressed that, before any jury makes a life-or-death decision, it should hear about a person’s “military service” as well as any “struggles to regain normality upon his return from war, including PTSD that could “manifest in impulsive, violent behavior.” Porter v. McCollum, 558 U.S. 30, 41 (2009). Richard’s jury never had the opportunity to hear about his combat service in Vietnam or the horrific trauma he suffered. Had his jury heard this critical information, Richard might not have been sentenced to death.

Since being incarcerated, Richard has been an exemplary inmate. Every morning, Richard wakes up early to work. He sometimes cuts grass, and he always cleans the death row unit. Richard has Tier Worker status, a position of trust given to inmates who have shown good behavior and no record violation reports (RVRs) for a long period of time. Richard is a mentor to other inmates, helps guards by cleaning their offices and filing, passes out food trays, and he is known for lessening conflicts amongst his peers.

The remorse Richard feels for the crime he committed is immense. The moral injury he suffers from his actions in Vietnam and his crime after Vietnam is immeasurable. To prevent this type of crime from ever happening again, Richard has worked with banks and bank security personnel in devising methods and approaches to prevent crimes against banking personnel and their families.

Richard has spent every single day trying to make up for his crime. He wants to continue to be a force for good; he wants only to help others while serving the remainder of his days in prison."

Mississippi's plan to carry out an execution marks the state as an outlier in national use of the death penalty. The vast majority of states with capital punishment continue on a downward trend of executions, with only a handful of (almost exclusively Southern) states having had carried out executions in the last few years. Mississippi is going against evolving standards of decency and human rights by scheduling an execution date.  

Please sign the petition asking Governor Reeves to do everything within his power to stop this execution, including issuing a stay, and seeking a path to clemency in the case.