Not Guilty, Sentenced for Life: The Case Against Ferrone Claiborne and Terence Richardson

On April 25, 1998, in Waverly, Virginia, police officer Allen Gibson was gunned down in the woods behind the Waverly Village apartment complex. Within a month, Ferrone Claiborne and Terence Richardson became suspects in the case and were eventually charged with Gibson’s murder. Despite their steadfast claims of innocence, the two men ultimately took a plea deal to avoid the death penalty in state court. Claiborne walked away with a misdemeanor, while Richardson was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

However, the story does not end there. The case then went to federal court, where the jury found Claiborne and Richardson not guilty of murder. Despite the acquittal, at the sentencing for a drug charge, the judge tacked on the murder convictions in state court to ensure that the two men would serve life in prison. To this day, Claiborne and Richardson maintain their innocence, insisting that they did not murder Officer Gibson.

The Waverly Two, as they are called, have become the focus of renewed attention in recent years thanks to the work of the Life after Justice. In 2019, the organization started looking into the case, and it has since filed writs of innocence with the Virginia Court of Appeals. These documents contain new evidence that points to a new suspect in the murder of Officer Gibson.

8News, a local news organization, has been following this case since 2017 and continues to uncover and report new information. The story of the Waverly Two is a powerful reminder of the many flaws in the criminal justice system, from coercive plea deals to the use of prior convictions to stack the deck against defendants. The Waverly Two’s case also illustrates the importance of continued investigative work and the role that organizations like the Life after Justice can play in helping to right the wrongs of the justice system.

Despite the long road ahead, Claiborne and Richardson have not given up hope. They continue to fight for their freedom and to clear their names, convinced that justice will one day be served. For them, the truth is worth the struggle and the sacrifice, and they are determined to see it through to the end. As their story continues to unfold, it serves as a stark reminder of the need for reform in our criminal justice system and of the human toll of wrongful convictions.