A Kansas young man and five fathers were convicted of trying to kill his wife and child and attempting to burn a house from the Bible during a public apology.
Johnson County District Court Judge Jason Billum sentenced Matthew Lee Richards to two felony counts of attempted first-degree murder in prison for 353 months, according to a Johnson County Post Office report.
The equivalent of over 29 years came after a plea bargain.
Richards was initially charged with five counts of planned murder attempts in September 2023 and one count of aggravated arson with risk of physical harm, the post added.
Richards stabbed his wife and five children.
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The three children, along with his wife, were hospitalized with severe injuries.
The couple’s other two children, their 19-year-old son and one other child, were also hospitalized with such serious injuries.
A former youth pastor at Crossroads Christian Church in Shawnee, Kansas, confirmed to police that “I stab a child, a detective. I stab my wife.”
According to a report by KCTV-TV, one of the children later told officers that the whole family was in bed when the father began stabbing them.
Richards was taken to hospital with injuries from inhaling smoke.
Richards had hidden financial problems from his wife and family, but they had no idea they were about to be kicked out of their homes.
“The defendant admitted that he thought it would be better if all of them died, rather than having to deal with the trauma of children finding the truth,” the affidavit said.
When asked to make a statement in court, Richards read from Psalm 51. It was written after the king of ancient Israel slept with Bathsheba and promoted the death of her husband Uria’s Hittites.
This text deals with the lamentation of sin and recovery after repentance.
Richards apologised to his family before reading the aisle from the Bible.
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“Through my actions, I have brought dishonor, shame, humiliation, disgrace. We, our families, our classrooms and our children in the field of football, trust us in my community,” Richards said.
“This came from my own shame that prevented me from revealing my fault and sin because I was afraid of the truth. I was afraid to ask for help,” he continued.
“I apologize to my wife, children and the rest of my family for multiple levels of destruction and pain,” Richards said.
“I offer a short apology today, but the most important words of an apology should be shared someday – as soon as possible – and in private moments. I need to apologise most to those I love.
Richards added, “I’m ashamed to be like David and continue to use my failure to improve myself and then recover with me.”
This article was originally published in the Western Journal and has been reposted with permission.
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