Troy Dean Richey, a convicted serial rapist, was wrongfully released back into society by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole (BOPP) on September 8, 2026. This ill-informed and poorly executed decision has been deeply disturbing to the victims and their families whose lives have been forever altered by his horrific crimes. The fear they endure at the knowledge of his return to the community is both palpable and justified.

Troy Dean Richey has proven himself a violent and dangerous repeat offender. Allowing his release has created an unacceptable risk to public safety. The BOPP has the critical duty to protect citizens and uphold justice by thoroughly reviewing and considering all evidence related to such cases. Releasing Richey was severely negligent of this responsibility and undermined the safety of our communities.

In light of this error, there is an urgent need for the BOPP to reassess their current procedures. We are calling for the establishment of stricter oversight measures, checks and balances, and an appeals process for all BOPP decisions. A more transparent and accountable system will help ensure that future parole reviews prioritize community safety and justice for victims.

Specific statistics and studies show that individuals with similar criminal histories to Richey are often at a higher risk of recidivism. By allowing his parole, the BOPP has shown blatant disregard for these trends and the warning signs they present. The BOPP had the authority and responsibility to extend Richey's sentence and instead pointed toward the vague guidelines of the State Sentencing Commission as their scapegoat. Our society must prioritize the well-being of its citizens above all, and the BOPP's actions and current protocols are failing miserably.

By the poorly-justified release of this violent repeat offender, the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole failed to uphold justice and defend community safety. Troy Dean Richey's parole is a glaring example as to the urgent necessity for protocol reforms to prevent similar decisions in the future.

Please sign this petition to demand immediate action from the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole to keep our communities safe and to advocate for a justice system that genuinely protects its people. THANK YOU!

ADDITIONAL FACTS THAT JUSTIFY OUTRAGE OVER TROY DEAN RICHEY'S PAROLE:

Information that was presented to the Judge in the process of trial is eligible for consideration for the Board of Pardons and Parole (BOPP). These are a few key facts that have been presented either in pre-trial or during trial, and were resubmitted for consideration at the parole hearing:

• The Perpetrator, Troy Dean Richey, was Other Than Honorably Discharged from the United States Marines for violence against a fellow Marine.
• The Perpetrator has a history of multiple criminal assaults. 
• The Perpetrator was previously arrested twice for sexual assault, but got off on technicalities and lack of evidence for a full trial.
• At the bail hearing for the trial that finally got Mr. Richey convicted, the Judge stated that he had reviewed the SEVEN “eerily similar” police reports already in the Perpetrator’s file. The Judge then went on to state that he believed Mr. Richey to be a danger to society, revoked bail, and remanded him to State’s custody until trial. 
• Mr. Richey confessed to spiking the Victim’s drink to lower her inhibitions for sex. Two forensic nurses testified in court that Mr. Richey gave the Victim enough alcohol to kill her, and left her there.
• During the discovery process, the police found a flash drive containing over 70 videos of Mr. Richey having sex with over 30 different women, most of them inebriated beyond reason. Two of those recordings were of the Victim, completely unbeknownst to her. 
• During the Perpetrator’s recorded conversation with the Victim, the following was his account of his actions: Mr. Richey: “Hey, stop. I understand what you're saying, but you did not pass out. You were fully engaged... You were so lit up and drunk... I would never, ever take advantage of some passed out anything... Inhibitions is one thing. The other thing’s rape.”
• On April 13, 2021, a jury of his peers found the Perpetrator guilty of: Forcible Sodomy – First-Degree Felony, holding a sentence of 5 years to 100 years (life) in prison; Tampering with Evidence – Third-Degree Felony, holding a sentence of zero to 5 years in prison; Two counts of Voyeurism by Electronic Equipment Concealed or Disguised – Class A Misdemeanors, each holding a sentence of up to 1 year in prison.
• On August 9, 2021, the Judge passed down the judgement of “Maximum sentence on all counts.”
• Two additional victims found the courage to come forward during the Perpetrator’s incarceration. One was told that she did not have enough evidence. The other’s case was heard before the Judge, and on 11/29/23, Mr. Richey plead out to receive another Third-Degree felony conviction for Forcible Sex Abuse, holding another zero to 5 years in prison.
• The Second Victim (who was visibly afraid of the Perpetrator) was assured by the the Prosecuting Attorney that it was ok to not go to trial, as a second conviction was all that was needed for the Board of Pardons and Parole to recognize Mr. Richey as a repeat offender and thus extend his current 5 to life sentence.
• On February 3, 2026, the Perpetrator’s first parole hearing was held (less than 5 years from the date of sentencing), at which the Hearing Officer stated, “I'm very scared of you coming back into society… I don't even know if I have words to really describe what my reaction is to what you've done to these two victims… it's terrifying.”
• The Hearing Officer stated that he would get his findings to the Board (BOPP) by that Friday (2/6), and that they would review the information and make their decision within the following two weeks. That Monday (2/9), not even one full business day later, the BOPP issued the decision to parole the Perpetrator on January 12, 2027.
• On April 21, 2026, the BOPP then granted the Perpetrator an Earned Time Credit for completing the “Road to Freedom Sex Offender Treatment Program”, and moved his parole to the earlier release date of September 8, 2026. 

It is the responsibility of the Board of Pardons and Parole to review all relevant information to the case and make their decision based on what best serves both JUSTICE and COMMUNITY SAFETY. The evidence is clear that Troy Dean Richey is a violent repeat offender and serial rapist. Neither justice nor public safety has been served by the BOPP's irresponsible decision to parole this dangerous criminal. In fact, with consideration of this case, the Utah State Sentencing Commission has already changed legislation to make certain crimes hold greater expectations for time served. Under the new guidelines that were passed in landslide votes on September 2, 2026, Troy Dean Richey would still be incarcerated.

Now we are on a crusade to inform the public of this egregious error and call for the BOPP to take accountability for their failure. It is our hope that this petition draws the attention necessary to STOP THE BOPP from continuing their path of chosen ignorance and irresponsibility. We request that the BOPP aggressively audit their current protocols and begin taking actions to better serve and protect our Utah communities.

The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole consists of five full-time members appointed by the Governor, Spencer J. Cox, with the consent of the Senate. The current members are Blake R. Hills (Board Chair), Greg Johnson (Vice Chair), Dan Bokovoy, Melissa G. Stirba, and Brett Varoz. Under current Utah law, there is no traditional right to appeal or obtain judicial review on the merits of a board decision. HENCE THE URGENCY OF THIS PETITION!

No Judicial Appeal: Utah courts and state statutes (Utah Code Section 77-27-5) specify that the board's parole and pardon decisions are final and not subject to judicial review or substantive challenges on their merits. 
Limited Administrative Requests: While appeals do not exist, individuals can file for a rehearing, a sentence redetermination, or a review based on specific procedural errors or new information directly through the board.