SUSSEX COUNTY, Va. — Two men charged with killing a police officer more than 20 years ago in Sussex County were granted clemency by President Biden during his final days in office.
On April 5, 1998, police officer Allen Gibson approached two men in the woods behind the Waverly Village Apartments, where they shot and killed him with his own gun.
Ferrone Claiborne and Terance Richardson were arrested, but family members told News 3 in May that they believed the men were innocent from the beginning.
"I was there from the beginning, even the first day from when we left here in court and my son got in the car with me. He told me, 'Curt,' " Curtis Claiborne, Ferrone's father, said. "I swear I had nothing to do with it. He said, 'I don't know what they are talking about.'"
Although a jury found the two men not guilty, a judge sentenced both to life in prison based on previous guilty pleas.
Over the weekend, President Biden granted clemency to the two men, who have been fighting for a second chance for years.
Jarrett Adams, the attorney representing Richardson and Claiborne, provided this statement to News 3:
"Terrance and Ferrone and their families are both thankful that they are home but closure is not here without the Commonwealth investigating and putting its resources into finding out what happened to Officer Gibson."
Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares sent statements condemning the president's clemency.
"I am beyond outraged and in utter disbelief that President Biden would announce clemency for Ferrone Claiborne and Terence Richardson—two men who admitted for being responsible to brutally killing Officer Allen Gibson, a hero and dedicated servant to our community. What makes this even more unconscionable is the Biden U.S. Attorney advised the White House not to commute these sentences as they are violent offenders. The pain and sorrow this clemency causes the Gibson family is unimaginable. To know that the men who took Officer Gibson’s life will walk free is not just a grave injustice—it is a heartbreaking blow to those who continue to mourn his sacrifice. This is despicable; a grim day for justice and for the families who trust that our system will hold the guilty accountable.”
In a release sent out by Miyares's office, Crissana Gibson mentioned how disappointed she was with the decision.
"I am absolutely outraged by what has happened. My heart is shattered knowing that the men that killed my father are going to be released from prison and can walk the streets freely. This is a huge miscarriage of justice, and I am completely disgusted by the outgoing administration. The Virginia Attorney General's office has worked tirelessly to keep these murderers behind bars, and I am forever grateful for their dedication and hard work. I am so disappointed that the disgraceful Biden administration has failed my family, my father, and the entire law enforcement community. Neither my family nor I have ever supported the release of Richardson or Claiborne, and we denounce this decision by the outgoing failed presidency of Joe Biden and the Democratic Party’s abuse of the justice system."
News 3 contacted Miyares's office on Monday but did not hear back.
