Tears flowed down the face of Rev. Richard Rossi when he heard DNA evidence and witnesses cleared him of attempted murder charge
Rev. Richard Rossi, a maverick minister turned moviemaker, has been cleared of a 1994 charge of the attempted murder of his wife. His vindication came from DNA evidence, witnesses, and the confession of the culprits who attacked him and his wife and framed him three decades ago.
It was a sensationalistic case that was front-page news in his hometown of Pittsburgh and was widely covered by tabloid TV shows like Inside Edition, Hard Copy, American Journal, and A Current Affair.
One of the confessions was from a police officer Rossi exposed on his popular radio talk-show “Richard Rossi Live.” Rossi outed police for sexually assaulting women pulled over for routine traffic stops.
The officer committed suicide in the town of his ancestry in Ireland at a Co Antrim PSNI station recently. He left behind a note saying Rossi was innocent, and that he and his accomplices procured a man who looked like Rossi to carjack and attack them in 1994. The second accomplice who confessed is in a mental hospital for the criminally-disturbed.
A Pittsburgh native, Rossi’s current career as a filmmaker who wrote and directed biopics on his childhood hero Roberto Clemente and faith-healing evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, was born from the ashes of the 1994 scandal in his hometown.
Rossi and his wife Sherrie maintained his innocence. Mrs. Rossi testified that her husband was innocent in his trial, penned a book defending him, and filed a federal lawsuit for the wrongful prosecution of her husband.
“I saw the eyes and face of my attacker,” Sherrie Rossi said on the witness stand in May, 1995. “It was NOT my husband. This is an assault of justice. It is not a prosecution, it is a persecution of my husband because he had the courage to speak the truth and overturn the tables of those in power, like when Christ cleansed the temple.”
The incident and bad publicity that dominated local news caused the Rossi’s to move three-thousand miles away to Sherrie’s hometown of Hollywood where Rossi reinvented himself as a multi-medium artist who directs movies, releases music albums, and wrote several novels. The Rossi’s also started Eternal Grace, a ministry in Los Angeles attended by celebrities that focuses on “meeting the real needs of people with grace, understanding, and compassion.”
“My brother’s comeback has been like the Super Bowl Steelers coming back in the second half,” Rossi’s brother Joseph said. “We thought he’d be finished. They threatened me before it happened and said if my brother Richard didn’t shut up in his sermons exposing corrupt cops they could frame him and destroy him.”
“Richard was twenty-five years ahead of his time, before the MeToo movement in confronting those who were sexual predators. Richard and his family paid an awful price for it,” Amy Thomson, a MeToo activist said. “He named names of police who molested women in his congregation before it was fashionable. He had the courage to keep speaking out despite the threats and physical assaults on him and his wife.”
“We have forgiven those who hurt us,” Richard Rossi said. Rossi says his forgiveness is for all, both the attackers and the press. “If Christ prayed, ‘Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do,’ as he was crucified, I choose to forgive all too. We forgive those who tried to destroy us. By the grace of God, our faith is stronger than ever, and through movies, music, books, and ministry, we are reaching more people than ever with the love and healing power of Jesus.”
“Fact-checkers found the coverage of the Rossi’s in the 1990s in Pittsburgh was ‘fake news’ before the term was popular. Despite being acquitted, newspaper articles quoted relatives of Rossi who didn’t exist giving interviews making him look guilty,” Al Hill, a volunteer with a non-profit watchdog group focused on media accuracy said. “The cloud remained over Rossi because of the biased coverage of the case.”
Richard Rossi’s last film Canaan Land, was released in 2020 and can be seen for free at Tubi-TV. Five songs Rossi penned for the film were on the Oscar list for Best Song consideration. His next film, an anti-bullying children’s story entitled Lucy and the Lake Monster will be released next year. Rossi co-wrote the script with retired schoolteacher Kelly Tabor.
Rossi’s ministry Eternal Grace continues to focus on “healing the whole person and helping other artists.” Their daughter recently graduated with a Master’s in Theology at Princeton University and follows in her father’s footsteps, delivering regular sermons.
News of Rossi’s exoneration brought responses of praise online. Blogger Teri Tee wrote, “I praise and thank God for your life and your families life, what a testimony!!!”
###
Sources:
Arbogast, Sarah (August 14, 2013). “Film About Roberto Clemente’s Life To Premiere At Strand Theater”. CBS.
Armstrong, Chris (January 1, 2005). “Aimee Semple McPherson”. Christianity Today.
Bennett, Marcia (March 22, 1984). “Their Faith Beats the Odds”. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Bernstein, Ethel “The Trauma of Being Falsely Accused” July 14, 2007.
Boyer, David (April 3, 2010). “Filmmaker Interviews”
Burlingame, Jon (February 1, 2021). “Oscar Music Eligibility Lists Revealed: ‘Soul’ In, ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ Out”. Variety.
Burnett, Jon (August 16, 2013). “New Film Shares Roberto Clemente’s Story”. Pittsburgh Today Live. CBS — KDKA.
Chantler, Carrie (August 29, 2013). “Capturing Clemente: Film about Pittsburgh Pirates legend makes NY premiere in Auburn”. Auburn Pub. The Citizen.
“Clemente movie available for short time on DVD”. Pittsburgh Tribune Review. TribLive. September 13, 2013.
Davis, Clayton (February 5, 2021). “Oscars Predictions: Best Original Song – With 105 Songs In Contention, Can Diane Warren Finally Win Her Oscar?”. Penske Media Corporation. Variety.
Donnally, Ed (September 30, 2005). “Filmmaker Tells Story of ‘Wounded Healer’”. Strang Publications. Charisma Magazine.
Gilbert, Ryan (November 5, 2012). “Hallelujah! How Faith Healer Aimee Semple McPherson Inspired the Rip-Roaring New Musical Scandalous”. Broadway Buzz.
Guydon, Lynda (October 29, 1981). “Singing ‘poets’ spread gospel”. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“Having faith: Adams pastor holds fifth healing clinic”. North Hills News Record. December 12, 1992.
Heyman, Macie (15 May 2017). “Knight Rider Star Rebecca Holden Lands Coveted Canaan Land Evangelist Role”. Military-Technologies. International Military Press.
Hogan, OCDS, Father John (June 23, 2014). “Another Sports Saint?”. Ex Umbris Et Imaginibus.
Huggins, Amy Johnson (September 30, 2017). “Actor Richard Rossi Discusses Founding Of Group ‘Families Fighting Fentanyl’”. KCAL9, CBS Los Angeles. CBS
Karen Kane (October 13, 1994). “‘My Husband Is Not To Blame’”. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. A1.
Karen Kane (April 1, 1995). “Rossi jurors can’t decide”. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. pp. A1. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
Karen Kane and Mark Belko (August 30, 1995). “‘Lucky’ man is out of jail”. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. B1.
Karlovits, Bob (August 14, 2013). “Filmmaker’s Clemente movie a testament to grace, power”. Tribune Review.
Kilkenny, Katie (20 November 2018). “Quentin Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema to Reopen Dec. 1”. Lynne Segall, Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group (Valence Media). Hollywood Reporter.
Kim Phillips (November 21, 1999). “Pastor Wins By Default”. Long Beach Press-Telegram. p. A2.
Levin, Steve (May 4, 2008). “Rev. Rossi back in news as Hollywood success story”. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Loeffler, William (December 6, 1997). “Minister Answers Call From Hollywood” (Front Page). North Hills News Record.
McCleary, Mary (April 1, 2016). “Remembering selfless baseball great Roberto Clemente”. New Boston Post.
McCollough, J. Brady (August 4, 2012). “How an Olympic high jumper became Clemente in indie film — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette”
Mellen, Greg (August 8, 2014). “Film about baseball Hall of Fame’s Roberto Clemente to play in Long Beach”. Orange County Register.
Miller, Virginia (September 5, 1986). “West View minister uses ‘friendly’ approach” (Front Page). North Hills News Record. Gannett Publishing.
“Movie on founder of Four Square filmed here”. Bakersfield Californian, The. November 19, 2003.
O’Brien, Kelly (April 16, 2022) “Champ to star in new book and film series”. CBS https://www.wcax.com/2022/04/16/champ-star-new-book-film-series/
Pattison, Mark (December 31, 2013). “Catholic filmmaker gets to make movie about Clemente, his boyhood idol”. Catholic Diocese Press. Catholic News Service.
Pond, Steve (February 5, 2021). “Oscars Break Another Record With 105 Eligible Songs, But Trent Reznor’s ‘Mank’ Tune Isn’t One of Them”. The Wrap News Inc. TheWrap.com.
“Roberto Clemente film making NY premiere at Fingerlakes Mall”. Auburn Pub. The Citizen. August 24, 2013.
Rogers, David (May 3, 2019). “Hollywood Actors To Perform Play To Help Alleviate Homelessness”. My Christian Daily News. Global News Daily.
Rossi v. Court of Butler, et al., â„–2:95-cv-01144-WLS-KJB (W.D. Pa.).
Rossi, Sherrie Lynn (1996). Assault of Justice: The Rev. Richard Rossi Mystery. Eternal Grace. ISBN 0–9652330–0–6.
“Rossi’s trial a whodunit with reluctant key witness”. Beaver County Times. Associated Press. March 26, 1995.
“Rossis plan event for inner-city children”. North Hills News Record. TribLive. November 17, 1995.
“Rossi: Wife intends to sue officials”. North Hills News Record. January 11, 1995.
Simpson, Claire (March 25, 2017) “Officer Takes Life After Confession” Irish News
“Tady, Scott (July 29, 2013). “Clemente film to premiere in Zelienople”. The Times.
“Their Singing and Writing Hits a High Note”. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 14, 1983.
Tuttle, Andrew (July 27, 2011). “Feature Film on Roberto Clemente in the Works”. Seamheads Baseball Magazine.
Vancheri, Barbara (August 8, 2013). “Film Notes: Strand to screen movie about Roberto Clemente — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette”
Vargas, Andrew (August 22, 2015). “Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente Is Finally Getting a Biopic”. Sports News.
Walker, Ken (May 31, 2006). “God is Out of the Box”. Strang Publishing.
Walsh, Lawrence (November 25, 1995). “Love and near-death: Sherrie Rossi announces book”. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Walsh, Lawrence (November 16, 1995). “Rossis to host Thanksgiving festival”. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Walsh, Lawrence (November 24, 1995). “Troubles don’t dampen Rossis’ hospitality”. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Wooding, Dan (February 6, 2011). “Maverick Minister Richard Rossi Goes Hollywood”. Assist News.
SOURCE Assist News
CONTACT: 818-221-5899, [email protected]
###
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Religion News Service or Religion News Foundation.