A transgender baby killer was released from prison 30 years early after attempting to force authorities to use taxpayer money for gender-affirming surgeries.
Jonathan Richardson, who now uses the name Autumn Cordellione, was convicted in 2002 of murdering his 11-month-old stepdaughter by strangulation in a brutal killing.
The murder shocked the nation over two decades ago, as Richardson heartlessly described his victim as ‘the little f***ing b***h’ to a corrections officer.
Despite the grisly murder, the heavily tattooed killer served less than half of his 55-year sentence, and was quietly released in late December 2025 without the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) notifying local officials.
The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that it was unaware of Richardson’s release, and said they only discovered the killer was let back out into the community when a citizen recognized him.
The IDOC has not provided an official explanation for why Richardson was granted parole so early into his sentence for the infant’s murder.
However, it comes after Richardson tried for years to have the state of Indiana pay for his transgender surgeries, including demanding breast implants and a ‘penile inversion’ operation.
In September 2024, a court issued a preliminary injunction requiring the IDOC to provide the surgeries to Richardson, finding that denying the inmate constituted cruel and unusual punishment.
While prison officials have not yet commented on Richardson’s release, the injunction led to speculation that the IDOC released the prisoner to avoid having to pay out for the expensive surgeries.
Hellbound and Down 