A 1976 Wrongful Conviction Upheld to This Day Despite Exculpatory Evidence
California Refuses to Consider the Visalia Ransacker as Alternate Suspect
Los Angeles, CA: Tony Reid, an attorney, private investigator, podcaster, and author, has spent the last six years investigating and documenting the wrongful conviction of Oscar Clifton, a resident of Visalia, California, for the murder of Donna Jo Richmond the day after Christmas, 1975. In his podcast, 12/26/75, he has gone over exculpatory evidence and details of prosecutorial misconduct that led to Oscar Clifton dying in prison in 2013 for a crime he did not commit. In his book, also titled 12/26/75, published in July 2022 by Genius Book Publishing, Mr. Reid goes through the evidence in detail, pointing out each example of junk science, erroneous witness identification, official misconduct, and ineffective assistance of counsel. The story of Oscar Clifton’s conviction for the homicide of Donna Jo Richmond features every single one of those components.
In addition to convicting the wrong man, this miscarriage also let the real killer go free. Joseph DeAngelo has confessed to being the Visalia Ransacker, and was actively breaking into homes, kidnapping high school age women, and then murdering them. DeAngelo, at the time was an active-duty police officer for the nearby Exeter Police Department, and he knew how to manipulate evidence and frame others for his crimes, as he did often as the Visalia Ransacker, East Area Rapist, and Original Night Stalker. These other cases have exactly the same modus operandi for the Donna Jo Richmond murder on December 26, 1975. By focusing on and convicting Oscar Clifton, the DA and Tulare County Sheriff’s Office permitted DeAngelo to commit no less than 12 additional murders, as well as countless break-ins and more than 50 home invasion rapes. In full hindsight, the Richmond case quite possibly represents the most significant wrongful conviction of the 20th century.
Through his work on 12/26/75, Mr. Reid’s work stands out in the true crime genre because as an attorney and private investigator, he focuses on physical evidence, hard facts, and the law.
There is one fundamental challenge to the question of such injustice: Why does it happen? That simple question asks society to cast doubt on our trusted guardians—our judges, district attorneys, and police officers. It asks us to confront the very issues of fairness and finality. Our reliance on these officials tends to be absolute. Our trust in the procedures of the court to assure that every defendant gets a fair trial and the ability to confront their accuser makes our system of justice “the best in the world.” While the flaws of any one case expose a failure, it can also be perceived as a general attack on the fabric of our society. However, over the past twenty years, the sheer number of these wrongful conviction cases confirms that our justice system is in terrible need of reform. 12/26/75 highlights the essential challenge of confronting official misconduct and restoring faith in our system of justice. When we look back at prior cases, they can help us appreciate how such an injustice can compromise our trust and reminds us that: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Some, including the Tulare County District Attorney’s office, may argue that in the case of Oscar Clifton, justice was served. However, criminal defense is not about the defendants—it’s about the Constitution and due process. It’s about equal protection. And the fact that there is a mountain of exculpatory evidence that the authorities refuse to consider only goes to show that “being right” and “winning” can overwhelm the need to uphold the Constitution’s protections. The illegal destruction of the case evidence, just six months after the conviction, sealed Clifton’s fate, and the state still inexplicably claims that the conviction is sound.
Mr. Reid knows full well the weight represented by the events of December 26, 1975. A vivacious fourteen-year-old girl was murdered, a handyman was railroaded and died in prison, and a brutal serial killer was allowed to become “The Golden State Killer.” This case illustrates exactly why it is so imperative to our society that we have a properly functioning legal system. In this particular case, our system failed in the investigation, prosecution, and conviction of Oscar Clifton.
About Tony Reid
Mr. Reid is a private investigator and experienced criminal appeals attorney. He is available for interviews.
About Genius Book Publishing
Genius Book Publishing is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based publisher focused on true crime, fiction, and music-related books. Established in 2011, Genius Book Publishing has published authors such as Dr. Al Carlisle, The Rock And Roll Detective® Jim Berkenstadt, Dr. Don Redden (FBI Ret), Dr. Mark Hewitt, Sheriff’s Capt. Dean T. Olson (Ret), Police Chief David Dean (Ret), journalist James Kirkpatrick Davis, Detective Steve Rush (Ret), journalist Monique Patterson, and others. Our books and other information can be found at https://geniusbookpublishing.com
