GUILTY KY - Joyce, 46, & Sunny Richardson, 18, Phillip Leslie, 16, slain, Newport, Dec 2005

mysteriew

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A Newport father told police he "just snapped," then killed his wife, daughter, her boyfriend and the family dog in their home Tuesday morning.

They were found dead in a home at 15 Laycock Lane around 8 a.m.

Michael Richardson, 45, was holed up in the home after the shootings but later surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident.

Joyce Richardson, wife
Sunny Richardson, daughter and a senior at Newport High School
Phillip Leslie, Sunny's boyfriend and a junior at Newport High School

Police say Michael Richardson left his job at a printing company at 3 a.m. Tuesday, came home and shot the three, plus the family dog.

"Evidently he had a bad day at work. And they were having some problems at home and he just lost it, he snapped," said Officer Tom Collins of Newport Police.

Police say around 6:10 a.m., Richardson called his son and employer and said, "I killed my family."

After brief negotiations, he came out of the house, but police say he may have planned for a fight.

"There were also weapons placed strategically around the home, one a .50 caliber rifle on a tripod placed at the front door. There were weapons throughout the house," Officer Collins said. http://www.wcpo.com/news/2005/local/12/27/3murder.html
 
:confused: What is it with people just "snapping"? I don't get it. This had to have been brewing for quite some time, and no one noticed it. You don't just "snap" and then "snap" back to normal. Or do you? If that's the case, then anyone on the street can just "snap" and you might be the target. I'm at a loss for words. I think that's just a lame excuse for some sort of deep seeded psychological problem.
 
Oops, the just snapped thing again! I am not buying it...I think these people have a plan and part of the plan is to say " I just snapped". Responsibility or lack of responsibility is more the core of this. Just think, he never has to work again, all his meals and medical will be paid by taxpayers. He will have a roof over his head and the electric bill is someone else's problem.Sometimes I sound like a broken record but I believe it is the entitlement thing again.
 
That guy was only 45 years old? :waitasec: :waitasec: He looked at least 15 years older than that!!! Secondly, this doesn't mean anything, but what was a high school junior (and the daughter's boyfriend) doing at their house at 3:00 in the morning?
 
concernedperson said:
Oops, the just snapped thing again! I am not buying it...I think these people have a plan and part of the plan is to say " I just snapped". Responsibility or lack of responsibility is more the core of this. Just think, he never has to work again, all his meals and medical will be paid by taxpayers. He will have a roof over his head and the electric bill is someone else's problem.Sometimes I sound like a broken record but I believe it is the entitlement thing again.
And, I believe you may be right. As sad as that is, I believe it is true in most cases. Why would someone care if they had to go to jail? I mean, come on, it's a free ride, basically. Very few murderers actually get the death penalty, and if they do, it's years down the road. This is just my opinion, hope I'm not ticking anyone off. I sure don't mean to.
 
Jeana (DP) said:
That guy was only 45 years old? :waitasec: :waitasec: He looked at least 15 years older than that!!! Secondly, this doesn't mean anything, but what was a high school junior (and the daughter's boyfriend) doing at their house at 3:00 in the morning?

I wondered if this might have been what triggered what happened. He was obviously upset- he had a problem at work, and left to go home. He arrives home unexpectedly and finds dau's boyfriend spending the night. No excuse for what he did, but possibly the trigger to what happened.
 
Is it just me or is this the season for all of a sudden killing your entire family? It's been happening like every week for the last couple of months or so. And it seems to be happening an awful lot in MY AREA! This is really scary what the world is coming to and these people, who seem so "normal", all of a sudden snap...
 
ISPTRAX said:
Is it just me or is this the season for all of a sudden killing your entire family? It's been happening like every week for the last couple of months or so. And it seems to be happening an awful lot in MY AREA! This is really scary what the world is coming to and these people, who seem so "normal", all of a sudden snap...

It started happening since this summer. About the time the woman threw her children off a bridge, and has been happening ever since.
In the southwestern Ohio/Northern Ky area alone we have had the father who killed his dau with a golf club, the mentally ill man who killed his toddler after ripping her from her mother's arms, and now this............makes you wonder about people you know, will they be safe?
 
But what do you think the deal is? It's not that it's being reported more than before... anything like that is always reported. I think it's a desentisation of society... it's becoming so common, they think "what the hell"... so sad what we're coming to.
 
ISPTRAX said:
But what do you think the deal is? It's not that it's being reported more than before... anything like that is always reported. I think it's a desentisation of society... it's becoming so common, they think "what the hell"... so sad what we're coming to.


I agree. When life gets to be too much for these people, they just take it out on everyone that they can, sit back, wait to be arrested and then take in all the free room, boarding, food, medical/dental/mental care that they need for the rest of their lives. Nothing more to worry about, no more bills to pay, no more decisions to be made.
 
I think it is more than that. These are often people who work for a living, lead normal lives, appear loving and caring, no known drug connection. Then they suddenly just kill their family. Scary.
 
mysteriew said:
I think it is more than that. These are often people who work for a living, lead normal lives, appear loving and caring, no known drug connection. Then they suddenly just kill their family. Scary.


I disagree. We often hear after the fact that they had some serious problems with depression, alcohol, etc. I think they're ticking bombs, its just that no one knows it.
 
They are saying that this guy had been in a serious accident and lived with chronic pain, was on strong pain killers. But they are saying he recently stopped taking the medication because it was causing problems with his stomach. Says that he had begun to change. :confused: They did not say how he changed.
They also said that he did not have a criminal history.
 
Jeana (DP) said:
I disagree. We often hear after the fact that they had some serious problems with depression, alcohol, etc. I think they're ticking bombs, its just that no one knows it.

But that is part of the question. Why the sudden increase in those with seemingly normal lives that suddenly develop these unseen, untreated problems, and then just snap?
 
ISPTRAX said:
That's why I think I'll never date again... :mad:

I am with you on that. I have seen so much in aberrant behavior that I hesitate to have any close relationships other than my children. People are without boundaries in some instances...some I can't even believe are suggested.

The "just snapped business" doesn't sit well with me. A truly mentally ill person would be in an unrecognizable world if they had a psychotic break. They wouldn't be calm and collected and they wouldn't know right from wrong, they would just be psychotic.
 
concernedperson said:
I am with you on that. I have seen so much in aberrant behavior that I hesitate to have any close relationships other than my children.

At least you have children... I don't even have that. Just my dog and two cats...
 
concernedperson said:
Oops, the just snapped thing again! I am not buying it...I think these people have a plan and part of the plan is to say " I just snapped". Responsibility or lack of responsibility is more the core of this. Just think, he never has to work again, all his meals and medical will be paid by taxpayers. He will have a roof over his head and the electric bill is someone else's problem.Sometimes I sound like a broken record but I believe it is the entitlement thing again.

I am with you concernedperson and I am sick and tired of hearing it as if it is some type of excuse. I think this man didn't snap but had thought about this way before he did it. He just carried out his plan, imo.

I have never heard of so many families completely wiped out as I have read and seen in the media lately. It never ever ends and neither does the killing of innocent children done by their own parent (s). We are in a crisis, imo and we also see that murders are up and more and more teenagers are committing murders than ever before.
What in the world is happening to our country? It is so scary, where will it end? Or will we see an even more escalation than we have up until now? Scary to think about.

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

IMO

Ocean
 
I think of my friend in Albany often. I think of her true spirit and how she cares. But I also think of the people who don't care and let this go on and on. I wonder if the justice system is so screwed that the laws only help the perps and the victims are never really considered. I wonder if we set our pants on fire (since we have already burned our bras) that anyone will listen? I can never in a million years accept that child abuse is a normal and a forgivable thing. Never! It is the thing that causes so much pain and so much identity crisis. Kids everywhere are experiencing this and wondering who to love? I am more about kids than I ever thought even kids that I never knew. Or will ever know.I am just wishing I could do more.
 

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