JOHNSON COUNTY — A Kansas children's church pastor who admitted committing a violent attack on his family is going to prison.
On March 26, Judge Jason Billam sentenced 42-year-old Matthew L. Richards to nearly 30-years in prison for the September 2023 incident that sent seven people to the hospital.
On February 11, Richards pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first degree murder. He was originally charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of arson with risk of bodily harm, according to the Shawnee, Kansas police department.
Just before 4a.m. September 16, 2023, police and fire crews were called to the 6600 block of Goode Drive for a report of a disturbance and a house fire, according to a media release from Shawnee Police. Firefighters found a fire in the basement of a home and quickly extinguished the fire.
EMS transported 7 people to area hospitals for treatment including the suspect later identified as Richards.
Following an investigation by police, fire and the Johnson County Criminalistics lab, police arrested Richards, the father and husband of the victims.
Richards was the children's pastor at Crossroads Christian Church, 5855 Renner Road in Shawnee, Kansas, according to the church web site.
The victims sustained laceration injuries. One adult woman and two juveniles remained at area hospitals the day after the incident receiving treatment. A 19-year-old and two other juveniles were released from the hospital late on the day of the incident.