Murder of Nicholas Candy

Who is Murder of Nicholas Candy?

Nicholas Candy was a British-born U.S. permanent resident who was shot five times, murdered at age 47, by his father-in-law, Richard Keech, a World War II veteran and former prisoner of war in his late 70s, in a contentiously disputed case. The prosecution contended that it was cold-blooded murder and the circumstances of the killing lend credence to that claim:

On May 21, 1996, when Mr. Candy came to the house to pick up his son, Mr. Keech had a 9-millimeter pistol in his waistband, under his shirt. The two began arguing at the curb. Mr. Keech pulled the gun, shot his son-in-law in the side and then followed him down the sidewalk, shooting him four more times after he fell face first on a neighbor's lawn.

Many fellow veterans and many ordinary citizens automatically supported Keech, and pled for leniency following his conviction of murder:

...[h]is defenders say he was protecting his daughter, Nancy, from spousal abuse. The murder occurred at a time when Keech's daughter and Candy were being divorced and were battling for custody of their son, Martin.

Candy's sister, Mrs. Jocelyn Bunyan, a U.S. permanent resident, originally stated:

…He [Keech]'s locked up. Justice is done ... If it wasn't for unwarranted fears and lies, may not have done it.