Unsealed Documents Reveal Details and Timeline of Men's Deaths in Traskwood
By: Marci Manley, KARK 4 News
Updated: November 2, 2011
Twenty-five pages of documents (click here to read affidavit) paint a picture of conspiracy and cover-ups in the death of Joe Lee Richards, Jr.
"As I understand it -- there were at least 5 people in the room. Including Joey at the time he was killed, at least that amount," said Joe Lee Richards, Sr.
Witnesses, finally coming forward from the night he went missing, were listed as Dana Creech, James Fisher, and Myra Terry. According to their statements, they saw Marissa Wright shoot Richards inside her Traskwood home nearly a year ago.
"They [the people who were there that night] were guilty of not coming forward. And bringing that information to the police and taking a year," Richards, Sr. said.
The pages, just unsealed, highlight Wright's involvement in a murder 20 years ago and lay out a timeline leading to Richards' death.
"Do you believe your son was killed because of drugs?" we asked Richards, Sr.
"Yes, yes. It is my belief from what I found that he was trying to stop them from making meth that night," he said.
Search warrants and affidavits say the same. The group is believed to have been cooking meth when Richards walked in, grew angry, and started fighting with them. Witnesses report hearing gunshots and seeing Wright standing over Richards with a pistol in hand.
"He was trying to do right, but you know sometimes doing right gets you in trouble," his father said.
According to the documents, Wright confessed to authorities that she did kill Richards. She also admitted to killing Randall Anderson as well. Both men's bodies were found buried in the backyard behind her home.
Anderson had been missing for four years at the time the bodies were recovered. According to Wright, she had beaten Anderson with an ax or ax handle before he died. The documents say she also told police that she wrapped him in plastic before burying him in the backyard.
Wright also told police she had used an automotive "creeper" to move Richards' body through her residence to the backyard.
We did speak with R.B. Wright, Marissa's father, who said he did not know about either of the killings or the graves in the backyard prior to search warrants being executed at the residence. He did not feel comfortable speaking on camera, but he did say he did not believe his daughter is a murderer and that there are two sides to every story.
To read through all of the documents released by the Saline County Prosecuting Attorney, click here.
Wright is set to appear in Benton District Court on November 15 at 1:00 p.m.
"As I understand it -- there were at least 5 people in the room. Including Joey at the time he was killed, at least that amount," said Joe Lee Richards, Sr.
Witnesses, finally coming forward from the night he went missing, were listed as Dana Creech, James Fisher, and Myra Terry. According to their statements, they saw Marissa Wright shoot Richards inside her Traskwood home nearly a year ago.
"They [the people who were there that night] were guilty of not coming forward. And bringing that information to the police and taking a year," Richards, Sr. said.
The pages, just unsealed, highlight Wright's involvement in a murder 20 years ago and lay out a timeline leading to Richards' death.
"Do you believe your son was killed because of drugs?" we asked Richards, Sr.
"Yes, yes. It is my belief from what I found that he was trying to stop them from making meth that night," he said.
Search warrants and affidavits say the same. The group is believed to have been cooking meth when Richards walked in, grew angry, and started fighting with them. Witnesses report hearing gunshots and seeing Wright standing over Richards with a pistol in hand.
"He was trying to do right, but you know sometimes doing right gets you in trouble," his father said.
According to the documents, Wright confessed to authorities that she did kill Richards. She also admitted to killing Randall Anderson as well. Both men's bodies were found buried in the backyard behind her home.
Anderson had been missing for four years at the time the bodies were recovered. According to Wright, she had beaten Anderson with an ax or ax handle before he died. The documents say she also told police that she wrapped him in plastic before burying him in the backyard.
Wright also told police she had used an automotive "creeper" to move Richards' body through her residence to the backyard.
We did speak with R.B. Wright, Marissa's father, who said he did not know about either of the killings or the graves in the backyard prior to search warrants being executed at the residence. He did not feel comfortable speaking on camera, but he did say he did not believe his daughter is a murderer and that there are two sides to every story.
To read through all of the documents released by the Saline County Prosecuting Attorney, click here.
Wright is set to appear in Benton District Court on November 15 at 1:00 p.m.
