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Out Of Mind - Launched June 26, 2018 - Full multimedia experience: audio, stills, text and or video: Go to zReportage.com to see more - A father longs to know how his mentally ill son went blind and deaf in state custody. Aaron Richardson Jr., now 29, talks to voices in his head at his father's bail bond business in St. Petersburg. Junior has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was arrested for carjacking in 2011. While in custody he lost both his sight and hearing. He was released to his family in 2014 without an explanation. This story is based on thousands of pages of records that detail Junior's three-year stay in Broward County jails and Florida mental hospitals. 'You think, man he's young and is this like going to be every day?' said his father.'I wish I could have known what was going on. I didn't see this stuff coming. I could have been there.' He said his goal was for Junior to one day see and hear again, to meet someone and start a family. 'Doctors have told me he'll never see again, every one of them,' he said. 'But they don't have the last say. God does.'..
© John Pendygraft /Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Wire
April 19, 2011 - St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. - CCTV image from Broward County Public Defender's Office as AARON RICHARDSON Jr, responds to voices and prays during questioning by Broward County police. A father longs to know how his mentally ill son went blind and deaf in state custody. Aaron, now 29, talks to voices in his head at his father's bail bond business in St. Petersburg has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was arrested for carjacking in 2011. While in custody he lost both his sight and hearing. He was released to his family in 2014 without an explanation.
© Broward County Public Defender's Office/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Wire
July 22, 2017 - St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. - AARON RICHARDSON Jr. talks to voices in his head at his father's bail bond business. Richardson has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was arrested for carjacking in 2011. He was declared incompetent to stand trial and moved between Florida State Hospital and Broward County Jail. While in custody he lost both his sight and hearing. He was released to his family in 2014 without an explanation.
© John Pendygraft /Tampa Bay Times/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire
July 25, 2017 - St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. - Neurologist Dr. Lisa Flaherty examines an MRI obtained by Aaron Richardson Jr's family after his release from Broward County Jail in 2014. A father longs to know how his mentally ill son went blind and deaf in state custody. Aaron Richardson Jr., now 29, talks to voices in his head at his father's bail bond business in St. Petersburg. Junior has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was arrested for carjacking in 2011. While in custody he lost both his sight and hearing. He was released to his family in 2014 without an explanation.
© John Pendygraft /Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Wire
July 25, 2017 - St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. - AARON RICHARDSON Sr, 52, leads his son AARON RICHARDSON Jr, 28 to his car outside his bail bonds business in St. Petersburg in the early hours. Aaron Richardson Jr. was arrested for carjacking in 2011. He was declared incompetent to stand trial and moved between Florida State Hospital and Broward County Jail. While in custody he lost both his sight and hearing. He was released to his family in 2014 without an explanation.
© John Pendygraft /Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Wire
July 25, 2017 - St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. - AARON RICHARDSON Sr, 52, helps his son AARON RICHARDSON, Jr, 28, use a treadmill and exercise equipment at the YMCA in St. Petersburg. Aaron Richardson Jr. was arrested for carjacking in 2011. He was declared incompetent to stand trial and moved between Florida State Hospital and Broward County Jail. While in custody he lost both his sight and hearing. He was released to his family in 2014 without an explanation.
© John Pendygraft /Tampa Bay Times/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire
July 27, 2017 - St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. - AARON, right, soaks in a whirlpool while JUNIOR sits on the side after Junior's workout at the YMCA in St. Petersburg. Aaron Richardson Jr. was arrested for carjacking in 2011. He was declared incompetent to stand trial and moved between Florida State Hospital and Broward County Jail. While in custody he lost both his sight and hearing. He was released to his family in 2014 without an explanation.
© John Pendygraft /Tampa Bay Times/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire
July 27, 2017 - St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. - AARON RICHARDSON Sr, 52, leads his son AARON RICHARDSON, Jr, 28 out of the hot tub at the YMCA in St. Petersburg. Aaron Richardson Jr. was arrested for carjacking in 2011. He was declared incompetent to stand trial and moved between Florida State Hospital and Broward County Jail. While in custody he lost both his sight and hearing. He was released to his family in 2014 without an explanation.
© John Pendygraft /Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Wire
July 25, 2017 - St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. - AARON RICHARDSON Jr, 28, rests at his father's bail bonds business. Aaron Richardson Jr. was arrested for carjacking in 2011. He was declared incompetent to stand trial and moved between Florida State Hospital and Broward County Jail. While in custody he lost both his sight and hearing. He was released to his family in 2014 without an explanation.
© John Pendygraft /Tampa Bay Times/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire
July 22, 2017 - St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. - AARON RICHARDSON Sr., 52, irons a shirt for his son AARON RICHARDSON Jr., 28, who is schizophrenic, early morning. They were living in the back of Aaron's bail bond office. Aaron Richardson Jr. was arrested for carjacking in 2011. He was declared incompetent to stand trial and moved between Florida State Hospital and Broward County Jail. While in custody he lost both his sight and hearing. He was released to his family in 2014 without an explanation.
© John Pendygraft /Tampa Bay Times/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire
July 22, 2017 - St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. - AARON RICHARDSON Jr., 28, who is schizophrenic, waits for his father to help him get ready early morning. Aaron Richardson Jr. was arrested for carjacking in 2011. He was declared incompetent to stand trial and moved between Florida State Hospital and Broward County Jail. While in custody he lost both his sight and hearing. He was released to his family in 2014 without an explanation.
© John Pendygraft /Tampa Bay Times/zReportage.com via ZUMA Wire

John Pendygraft

JOHN PENDYGRAFT has been a photojournalist at the Tampa Bay Times in Florida since 1997 covering local, national and world news. Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S., Pendygraft's reportage is represented by ZUMA. Pendygraft has covered stories throughout his community, the U.S., Central America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and Asia. (Credit Image: © John Pendygraft/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMAPRESS.com):670


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