Tipsheet

Why Was a Trans Inmate Just Quietly Released From Prison Three Decades Early?

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  April 10, 2026 10:00 AM

Jonathan Richardson murdered his 11-year-old stepdaughter on September 12, 2001, in Indiana. He was arrested and sentenced to 55 years in prison in 2002. Sometime during his stint in prison, Richardson decided he was a woman named Autumn Cordellionè, and the ACLU filed suit against Indiana to secure Richardson's transgender care.

Richardson also sued President Trump, blaming the Trump administration for his prison assaults, and he sued a prison chaplain who prohibited Richardson from wearing an Islamic hijab outside of his cell in prison.

Now it turns out Richardson was released from prison in December, three decades early, despite the violent nature of his crime. Neither prosecutors nor the public were made aware of his release.

Here's more (emphasis added):

A trans-identified male convicted of the grisly murder of an infant has been released on parole a full 30 years early. Jonathan Richardson, who now uses the name Autumn Cordellioné, was convicted in 2002 after his 11-month-old stepdaughter died in his care while her mother was at work. Having served less than half of his 55-year sentence, Richardson was quietly released in late December of 2025.

A statement from the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office was published on March 26, warning the community of Richardson’s presence, and stating that the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) had failed to notify local officials of the release of a “serious violent felon.”

Prosecutor Diana Moers explained that the County Prosecutor’s Office was not made aware of the IDOC’s decision, but rather Richardson had been spotted by a local who recognized him.

Without an official statement from the DOC, it is unclear why Richardson was released early. However, the decision may have been linked to an injunction granted in state court that required the IDOC to provide Richardson with taxpayer-funded cosmetic surgeries. Releasing Richardson early may have been the IDOC’s strategy to avoid paying for the court-ordered cosmetic enhancements.

So the ACLU managed to secure his release because they tried to force Indiana taxpayers to pay for Richard's transgender care.

It's easy to see why a local recognized Richardson. With those face tattoos, he's hard to miss.

The sad part is some of them might just virtue-signal how tolerant they are.

There are no words. It's clear we don't have a justice system anymore, because it caters to the criminals and fails to protect the victims And if you belong to one of the Left's preferred classes, like the trans community, you get even more special treatment.