Matthew Lee Richards, a Kansas youth pastor, has been sentenced after allegedly attempting to murder his wife and their five children.
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More Details On Matthew Lee Richards Allegedly Attempting To Murder His Wife & Their 5 Children
According to KMBC, the incident occurred at the family’s home on September 16, 2023. Per the outlet, Richards attacked his family with a knife while they were in bed. Additionally, he allegedly set their home on fire “to conceal the assault and avoid facing eviction.” Per PEOPLE, the family was set to be evicted on the day of the incident.
Furthermore, multiple 911 calls were reportedly received about the incident. KMBC notes that one call was from one of the children who “said their father was chasing them with a knife.” Ultimately, when police arrived, they found “three stabbing victims outside the house.” Furthermore, Richards’ wife and two children were reportedly taken to the hospital in critical condition. Additionally, two other juvenile children and one adult child were found with minor injuries.
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“The children said their dad had gone from room to room throughout the house and stabbed them,” a witness reportedly shared about the attack, per TooFab.
More Details On The Kansas Youth Pastor’s Charges & Sentencing
Per the outlet, Richards later admitted to police that “he had not been with his wife about their financial situation.” He reportedly said that his family was “better off dead” rather than knowing the truth of their circumstances.
“I stabbed my family,” Richards reportedly told police before recalling a statement from one of his children amid the ordeal, per PEOPLE. “‘Dad, why do you have the knife?'”
Kansas children’s church pastor & christian school teacher, Matthew Richards, has been arrested for stabbing his wife & children & setting their house on fire. pic.twitter.com/EMVe06yZkP
— 𝐁𝐞𝐤𝐬 (@antifaoperative) September 16, 2023
KMBC reports that he was initially charged with “five counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated arson with risk of bodily harm.” The outlet adds that he ultimately pled guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder in February. Then, on Wednesday, March 26, he was reportedly sentenced to 29 years and five months in prison.
Per the outlet, the sentence given to the Crossroads Christian Church youth pastor included “two consecutive terms of 188 months each for two counts of attempted first-degree premeditated murder.”
“To my wife and kids and the rest of my family, I’m sorry for the multiple levels of destruction and pain that will take a lifetime to overcome,” he reportedly said at sentencing, per TooFab.
Three Teens In Texas Were Arrested For Allegedly Attempting To Stab Their Mom
Matthew Lee Richards, the youth pastor in Kansas, is, unfortunately, not the only one to make shocking headlines. As The Shade Room previously reported, three teen girls in Texas were arrested last week after allegedly attempting to stab their mom. Per reports, the teens — ages 14, 15, and 16, were reportedly upset that their mother turned off the Wi-Fi.
Furthermore, amid the attack, their mother was allegedly “struck with a brick.”
