“Never forget that I am so proud of you and I love you more than anything in this world,” she added before taking her seat.
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Richards’ sister told the court that “this is a very unique case.”
“It’s not one that it’s a bad guy who did a bad thing,” she said. “A good guy did a bad thing.”
“There are consequences to this, and nobody is denying this situation—nobody. We all know there’s consequences,” she continued. “However, this is a good guy.”
Richards’ sister went on to describe Richards as a “present father” and a “wonderful man who helped everybody that he could.”
“He just didn’t know how to help himself,” she said. “Mental illness is a real thing. Now that we know what it is, we know how to go about fixing things and treating things.”
Richards also addressed the court himself.
“Through my actions, I brought disgrace, shame, humiliation, and dishonor on myself, my family, kids in classrooms [and] on soccer fields, trusted friends, and my community,” said Richards. “This came from my own shame that kept me from revealing my own faults and sins, because I was afraid of the truth. I was afraid to ask for help.”
“The shame and fear led me further down a path that brought out not only disgrace but also violence into the lives of my family,” Richards continued. “Your honor, I will live every day knowing I caused that trauma and disgrace. That punishment is far worse than any…length of time in a prison.”
“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,” Richards said.
