KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man who stabbed his wife and five kids and later set their house on fire in Shawnee pleaded guilty to the crimes on Tuesday, the Johnson County District Attorney announced.
Matthew L. Richards pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder.
The incident happened on the early morning of Sept. 16, 2023, at a home in the 6600 block of Goode Drive in Shawnee.
Firefighters responded to the scene about 3:47 a.m. on reports of a fire and a disturbance and discovered the blaze was in the basement.
Richards' children — four juveniles and a 19-year-old, at the time, — and his wife were injured and hospitalized in the incident.
The former youth pastor told investigators he committed the violence because of pending eviction, according to an affidavit.
Richards said he hadn't been honest about his financial situation with his wife and told investigators in an interview he was a monster and "I stabbed my kids, detective. I stabbed my wife."
Sentencing is set for March 26.
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