Pastor Pleads Guilty To Attempted Murder Of His Family
A former Crossroads Christian church pastor has pleaded guilty to the attempted charge of his wife and children. Pastor Matthew Lee Richards, 43, admitted to two counts of attempted murder. He was initially facing multiple charges, including aggravated arson and attempted murder, according to the Johnson County prosecutor’s office.
On September 16, 2023, a violent attack took place at the Richards family home in Shawnee, Kansas. Emergency services responded to reports of a disturbance followed by a house fire at 3:47 am, where Richard’s wife and children were found with serious knife wounds.
Two of his children and his wife were hospitalised; the other three received treatments and were released. According to police reports, several 911 calls were made from the house, possibly by the children because their father was chasing them with a knife, while another call reported a person being stabbed.
Responding officers found the house engulfed in smoke and moments later an explosion blew out the garage doors. One of Richard’s children stated in an affidavit how their father had attacked them with a knife in their sleep, forcing them to flee. Following Richard’s arrest, he confessed to the attack.
Investigation shows the motive of the attack might be due to financial struggles. Court records show Richards and his wife, Stephanie, who is the director of Crossroads Christian Preschool and Parents Day Out, had lost their home because they fell behind on the mortgage payment.
Authorities believe Richards was trying to cover up his family’s eviction from their home. Pastor Richard is set to be sentenced on March 26.
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Content Credit| Ajibola Emmanuel Adebayo
Picture Credit | https://www.courttv.com/
