Pottawattamie County, Iowa, et al., Petitioners
Jeffrey W. Sarles, Counsel of Record
In 1976, David Richter was appointed Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Attorney. The following year, he and Deputy County Attorney Joseph Hrvol were actively involved in investigating the July 21 murder of retired police officer John Schweer, who worked as a security guard at a chain of local car dealerships. The attorneys charged two African American teens, Curtis McGhee and Terry Harrington, with the murders. They relied heavily on the testimony of one individual, Kevin Hughes, who alleged that he witnessed McGhee and Harrington commit the crime while they were stealing cars from dealerships. The following year, the two suspects were convicted…
