Former Shawnee pastor pleads guilty to attempted murder in 2023 knife attack on family
A former Shawnee pastor pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder Tuesday after allegedly attacking his family with a knife and setting fire to his home.
Matthew Lee Richards, 43, admitted to stabbing his wife and children in the early morning of Sept. 16, 2023, before attempting to burn down his house on Goode Drive in Shawnee. He later told investigators that the family was set to be evicted that day.
Richards initially faced four charges of attempted first-degree murder, one charge of attempted capital murder and one charge of aggravated arson, all felonies, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty to the latter two charges in January 2024.
At the time of the attack, Richards was a children’s pastor at Crossroads Christian Church in Shawnee, a non-denominational Christian congregation. He was also employed at Christ Preparatory Academy in Lenexa, where he had taught English since 2020.
Emergency responders arrived around 3:47 a.m. and found a fire in the basement, which they were able to extinguish quickly.
After setting the fire, Richards reportedly had gone room to room, attacking each of his family members with a knife, according to court documents. Several people called 911 during the attack, including one of Richards’ children, who fled to the garage to evade his father.
Richards’ wife and two of his children suffered serious stab wounds in the attack, with both children sustaining damage to internal organs. Three other family members — two minors and one 19-year-old — suffered minor stab wounds and were released from the hospital the day of the attack. Richards also sustained minor injuries.
According to court documents, Richards told investigators that his family was unaware of the extent of their financial troubles and that “it would be better if they all died” rather than “find out the truth.”
Richards has been held in the Johnson County detention center on a $5 million bond since the attack. He will next appear in Johnson County court on March 26 at 2:30 p.m. for sentencing.
Here’s a list of domestic violence resources in the Kansas City area if you or someone you love is facing a domestic violence situation.
