Law enforcement officers responding to a residence in Nebraska were informed that a woman had suffered a fall down a staircase. Upon their arrival, however, officers discovered circumstances they deemed suspicious, ultimately resulting in the arrest of the woman’s husband.
Terry Richards, 70, has been formally charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his 66-year-old wife, Kimberly Richards. Additional charges include assault by strangulation, first-degree assault, and tampering with evidence, as announced by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. Richards is currently being held at the Cass County Jail.
On a Saturday at approximately 5:00 p.m., the Cass County Sheriff’s Office received a call directing them to a residence on Stone Ridge Drive in Louisville, Nebraska, a city located roughly 25 miles southwest of Omaha. Authorities, along with emergency responders, were notified of a woman who had reportedly fallen down a flight of stairs and was found unresponsive.
Upon arrival, medical personnel attended to Kimberly Richards and made every effort to provide care. Despite these efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff’s office subsequently stated that further investigation revealed suspicious circumstances surrounding the woman’s death, though specific details regarding those circumstances were not disclosed. Additional investigators, including representatives from the Cass County Attorney’s Office, were dispatched to the scene, and authorities indicated that the evidence gathered during the investigation led directly to Terry Richards’ arrest.
Cass County Chief Deputy Matt Watson informed regional ABC affiliate KETV that investigators had “more questions” as the investigation continued to develop. Richards made his initial court appearance on Tuesday, at which time his bond was set at $3 million.
No further details concerning the events leading up to Kimberly Richards’ death were revealed during Tuesday’s hearing. It was, however, disclosed that Terry Richards had previously pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and served 18 months of probation following an incident involving a firearm in 2016.
Neighbors of the Richards family told local media that they had little familiarity with the couple. One neighbor described the defendant as “strange,” adding that other residents in the area had cautioned their family about him when they first moved into the neighborhood.
Terry Richards is scheduled to return to court for a competency review on December 8.
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