Page 99 of Dead Air
This revelation comes directly from Richardson's deathbed confession to Detective Erin Lawson, recorded in its entirety and verified by federal investigators. Richardson admitted to recruiting Monica Landry for an FBI operation investigating judicial corruption. What she discovered threatened not just local officials but reached into the federal agencies themselves.
[Audio clip plays]RICHARDSON:"Monica was supposed to gather evidence slowly. Build comprehensive documentation over years. But she discovered Thomas Hutchinson's connection to Byrd. Couldn't resist moving quickly once she understood the scope."
[Brief pause]
When Monica accelerated her timeline without authorization, Richardson received containment orders from FBI Special Agent Charles Drummond. Under the guise of protecting operational security, Drummond authorized lethal action against a federal asset.
Richardson executed those orders personally. He arrived at the warehouse before Detective Lawson, set up the floodlight to create momentary blindness, and took the shot when Monica stepped into the illumination.
[Music shifts to more somber tone]
For five years, Richardson protected Detective Lawson from suspicion while concealing his own guilt. He removed evidence that might have revealed the truth. Redirected investigations away from judicial corruption. Maintained the appearance of pursuing justice while actively obstructing it.
This deception extended beyond Richardson to Judge Elizabeth Byrd, who used her judicial authority to manipulate cases and protect Thomas Hutchinson's criminal network. The evidence Monica Landry discovered before her death revealed a systematic corruption operation that reached from street-level enforcement through the highest levels of Savannah's judicial system.
[Music intensifies briefly]
Judge Byrd died during the federal raid that secured my release. Thomas Hutchinson faces multiple federal charges for racketeering, conspiracy, and his role in his brother's murder. FBI Assistant Director Charles Drummond has been suspendedpending investigation into his authorization of lethal action against Monica Landry.
[Brief pause]
Detective Erin Lawson has resigned from the Savannah Police Department. Her statement, which she's permitted me to share, reads in part:
[Reading from document]"I can no longer serve within a system I no longer trust. Monica died seeking truth about corruption that reached into the highest levels of our justice system. Her courage deserves more than resignation, but it's what I can offer while I rebuild my life and honor her memory."
[Brief pause]
For listeners wondering about my own connection to this case—why I pursued it with such determination—I can finally acknowledge what some have suspected. Monica Landry was my cousin. We grew up together before our paths diverged—she to law enforcement, me to law. When the official investigation stalled, I used the tools available to me to seek the truth she died for.
[Music shifts to resolution theme]
The evidence Monica gathered five years ago has now resulted in twenty-seven indictments across Savannah's justice system. Officers who facilitated evidence tampering. Court personnel who manipulated case assignments. Judges who dismissed cases in exchange for financial considerations.
The system that failed Monica Landry is being dismantled and rebuilt. The corruption she discovered is being excised through federal intervention and legislative reform. The truth she died for has finally emerged.
[Brief pause]
I want to thank the sources who risked careers and personal safety to help expose this corruption. Detective Lawson, whose persistence despite personal cost kept this case alive. RachelBanks, who never stopped asking questions about her sister's death. And the federal agents who ultimately secured justice when local institutions failed.
[Music builds toward conclusion]
Most importantly, I want to acknowledge Detective Monica Landry. She recognized corruption others missed. Pursued truth when easier paths existed. Maintained her integrity in a system designed to compromise it. Her sacrifice ultimately forced accountability upon those who considered themselves beyond the reach of justice.
[Final pause]
This is Leah Blackwell. This has been Dead Air. The truth doesn't stay buried forever.
[Theme music plays out completely]
chapter
thirty-seven
Cardboard boxes coveredevery surface in Lawson's apartment. Each labeled in black marker: KITCHEN, BOOKS, CLOTHES, DONATE. The place she'd called home for eight years now lay dismantled into categorized containers waiting for their next destination. Florida, probably. Her mother had been suggesting it for years. Warm weather. Fresh start. No ghosts.
Lawson taped another box closed, the ripping sound echoing in the half-empty living room. The walls looked strange with picture hooks but no frames. Bare patches where furniture had protected the paint from years of sunlight. Evidence of a life being erased.
The kitchen counter looked bare without her badge and gun. She’d turned them in yesterday during a brief, awkward meeting with the interim chief. Her resignation letter had been concise. No dramatic explanations or accusations. Just the simple truth that she could no longer serve within a system she no longer trusted. The knock at her door came right on time.
