Former Church Leader Admits To Chilling Plot
Former children’s pastor Matthew Lee Richards, who served at Crossroads Christian Church, has pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder after a violent incident involving his family. Richards, 43, was originally charged with multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder, attempted capital murder, and aggravated arson. According to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office, Richards entered his guilty plea on Tuesday, as reported by KMBC News.
The incident occurred on September 16, 2023, when authorities responded to a disturbance and a house fire at Richards’ residence in Kansas around 3:47 a.m. Upon arrival, they discovered that his wife and children had sustained various laceration injuries. Richards’ wife and two of his children were hospitalized, while his 19-year-old son and two other children were treated and released.
Court documents reveal that several 911 calls were made during the attack, with one caller stating their father was chasing them with a knife and another caller reporting having been stabbed. Upon arriving, police found smoke pouring from the home, and an explosion blew out the garage doors. One of Richards’ children informed officers that their father had stabbed them while they were in bed before the family fled outside.
After being treated for smoke inhalation, Richards confessed to authorities, admitting, “I stabbed my family.” The family had been living in their Shawnee home since 2016, but civil court records show that a foreclosure petition was filed for the property in November 2022, as they owed $155,429 on the mortgage.