Richard David Coss's resumé reads a little differently
from that of most authors. He was arrested 32 times. He assaulted police
officers. His FBI file number was 33476-115 SW. He was labeled "dangerous
and incorrigible."
He was saved.
His sixteen-year odyssey of crime and anger that began when
he was only nine ended simply—miraculously—on March 16, 1969. Counselors,
psychologists, and correction officers had all failed to deter him from his
chosen path. Yet on that day, Coss met a group of Christian businessmen and
fellow inmates at the prison chapel. His anger and hate vanished, and Coss gave
his life to Jesus Christ. He was paroled soon after.
In 1971, Coss began his prison ministry and was ordained as a
Southern Baptist minister. In 1975, he received a pardon from President Gerald
R. Ford.
In the years following his incarceration, Coss experienced
his share of gains and losses, yet no loss was as severe as that suffered on
April 19, 1995—the day of the Oklahoma City bombing. A grandfather at the
time, he described that day as “the worst day of my life.” Yet he and
his remaining family survived with the support of each other and the strength of
their faith.
Together with his wife, Phyllis, Coss today operates Christ bars
None, Inc. Prison Ministries. He wrote Wanted to share the story
of his redemption with others, but, more importantly, to show those in similar
circumstances that anything is possible with God.
Coss has appeared on many Christian television shows, including Trinity
Broadcasting Network and The 700 Club with Pat Robertson. He spreads the
Good News by lecturing at schools, colleges, and civic clubs across America. In
his presentations, he speaks not only about his personal journey, but also of
prison reform, the death penalty, victims' rights, gun control, and the drug
problem. Recently, he spoke to more than 50,000 high-school students in a single
year.