Where is Richard Reid now? Details about American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden subject, explored

Richard Reid is locked away for life after trying to blow up American Airlines Flight 63. On December 22, 2001, he boarded the plane from Paris to Miami with explosives hidden in his shoes. He attempted to ignite the device mid-flight, but passengers and crew stopped him before he could follow through. The plane made an emergency landing, and he was arrested on the spot.

Fox News reported on December 22, 2023, that his shoes carried 10 ounces of explosives powerful enough to rip a hole in the aircraft’s fuselage and endanger nearly 200 people on board. The Cinemaholic revealed on March 11, 2025, that Richard Reid had fallen into extremism in the late 1990s. He went to Afghanistan and underwent training with Al-Qaeda. In court, he swore allegiance to Osama bin Laden.

Netflix’s American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden revisits cases like this one to show how security measures changed after 9/11. Richard Reid is still serving his sentence at ADX Florence, one of the most secure federal prisons in the United States.

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Richard Reid, widely known as the "Shoe Bomber," was sentenced to life in prison on January 31, 2003, after pleading guilty to multiple terrorism-related charges

On January 31, 2003, he received three life terms plus 110 additional years with no chance of parole. He had already pleaded guilty months earlier to multiple terrorism charges. Fox News confirmed that the explosives hidden in his shoes could have torn through the plane, putting every passenger at risk.

Authorities took him into custody at Logan International Airport in Boston. He was charged with eight federal counts, including attempted murder and the use of a weapon of mass destruction. The Cinemaholic reported that on October 4, 2002, Richard Reid admitted guilt to all charges. His sentence also included a $2 million fine.

In court, he showed no remorse. Fox News stated that he smirked at prosecutors and dismissed the U.S. judicial system. He declared himself an enemy of the country and claimed he was following bin Laden’s orders. Richard Reid's statement reads:

"I'm an enemy of your country, and I don't care."

Judge William Young had no patience for his rhetoric. According to The Cinemaholic, the judge told him he was not a soldier but a terrorist and that calling him a soldier gave him too much credit. Young stated:

“You are not an enemy combatant, you are a terrorist … You are not a soldier in any army, you are a terrorist. To call you a soldier gives you far too much stature."

Richard Reid’s descent into radicalism started in the 1990s. The Cinemaholic noted that he converted to Islam while in prison in 1992 and later took the name Abdel Rahim. He eventually joined Al-Qaeda and trained in Afghanistan before carrying out his failed attack.

While Richard Reid was in a supermax prison, authorities closely monitored his daily activities. They restricted his communication with lawyers and anyone outside the facility. He was also barred from participating in group prayers and had limited access to Muslim clerics.

In protest, he filed a lawsuit and went on a hunger strike in 2009. For weeks, prison staff force-fed him and ensured he stayed hydrated. Eventually, after continued resistance, his restrictions were lifted later that year.

His attempt to bring down the plane led to tighter airport security. TSA introduced the shoe-removal rule in 2006, a direct response to intelligence that suggested similar threats remained. Fox News confirmed that this measure was put in place to prevent future incidents.

Today, Richard Reid remains at ADX Florence, a maximum-security prison designed for the most dangerous offenders.

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Stay tuned for more updates.