Richman is a No-Show

By: Charlotte Williams

When a scared Richman did not show up for his first doctor’s appointment in Philadelphia, the doctor allowed Reid Advocate Williams to re-schedule him. But when the still terrified Richman missed the second appointment, the doctor canceled him out with regrets.

Williams quickly found another highly qualified forensic psychiatrist experienced in post-traumatic stress disorder who also agreed to work pro bono. She scheduled Richman’s appointment for May 21, 2007, with the intentions that Richman would sit down with Silverman sometime later that day. Silverman had never met Richman face-to-face.

A week before Richman’s appointment, Williams and this writer set up a telephone conference with him to remind him of his appointment and also to offer him some words of encouragement. Since the first doctor canceled Richman out, from this point on, the second doctor will be referred to as “the doctor.”

In the case of both doctors, each was experienced in treating patients with post-traumatic-stress disorder. Before Richman’s initial appointment was set, Reid Advocate Williams first discussed with the forensic psychiatrist, Richman’s claim that he had been an eyewitness to his friend’s murder fifteen and a half years earlier; and also, of how Richman’s reading The Giovanni Reid Story online about the murder, resurrected his memories of the horrific event.

Williams next informed the doctors of Richman’s description of his actions after his friend was shot. She told them of how he stated that he ran back inside and went back to bed, never picking up the phone to dial 911, or ever discussing it with anyone. Reid Advocate Williams then asked each doctor to go to this web site and read the story and transcripts of Hill’s testimony, so that he would have a clear picture of what Richman had read. Williams then sent (or hand delivered) each doctor copies of police reports as well as a copy of the medical examiner’s report. It was based on the above factors that both doctors agreed to conduct a mental evaluation of Richman.

Now, turning back to Williams and this writer’s three-way phone conversation with Richman about his upcoming doctor’s appointment and appearance at the newly-scheduled evidentiary hearing, Richman digressed to talk about the incident at the pawn shop and of why Cahill and Lynch’s visit had left him scared stiff.

Richman gave yet another valid reason for becoming unglued at the seams. He says that it was the fact that Cahill and Lynch knew his flight schedule and showed up at his house, and on his job on the day before he was to depart Tennessee for Philadelphia, which for him was a real pause for concern.

In a letter dated September 8, 2006, Silverman informed D’Aguanno of Richman’s home address. The Giovanni Reid Support Team surmises that D’Aguanno’s office began surveilling transportation schedules close to the time around Reid’s evidentiary hearing in the hopes of finding Richman’s name on a reservation’s manifest.

Richman contends that aside from having been allegedly called “a piece of shit” throughout his unnerving ordeal, that his fears heightened when Cahill and Lynch allegedly implied what might happen to him if he stepped foot off a plane in Philadelphia. According to Richman, they are alleged to have said, “You might not make it to the courthouse;” from which he inferred was a threat to do him bodily harm.

Before Williams and this writer’s conversation with Richman ended, he reiterated what Williams would later say was what he told her when she made a surprise visit to his home back in March 2007 (three days after he missed the March 14, 2007 evidentiary hearing), which was that, his fears had turned into anger.

Richman assured us that his renewed attitude meant that he would be keeping his upcoming May 21st flight reservation that Williams had made for him for his doctor’s appointment, as well as whatever reservation she made for him for the then upcoming June 8, 2007 evidentiary hearing.

Unfortunately, Richman’s resolve took a backseat to his fears - he was a no show at both events. The reason for Williams’ March 17, 2007 visit was to try and reestablish trust, since Richman had stopped talking to her and returning her phone calls.

Williams reported to this writer that when she called to inform the doctor that Richman would not be keeping his May 21st appointment, that just like the doctor before him, he too allowed her to re-schedule, but in this case, when it would be convenient for her to do so. And so far, with a terror-stricken Richman, that time has yet to come.