Former children's pastor pleads guilty after attempting to murder his wife and 5 kids

A former U.S. children's pastor is pleading guilty to a few charges after he attempted to burn down his house as well as kill his wife and five children.

Matthew Lee Richards formerly worked as a children's pastor at Crossroads Christian Church in Shawnee, Kansas, running the ministry for kids in Kindergarten to Grade 5. 

Richard faced four charges of attempted first-degree murder, one charge of attempted capital murder and one charge of aggravated arson, according to news sources, but pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder on Tuesday.

On Sept. 16, 2023, authorities were called just after 3:30 a.m. about a disturbance and house fire in Shawnee.

Police and firefighters found Richards's wife and their children covered in "laceration injuries of varying degrees" on their front lawn.

At the time of the attack, Richards was still working for the church, and he told investigators that later on that day they would be evicted from their home. Richards gave this information as motive to his crime. 

According to the affidavit, one of the children told officers, "They were all in bed when dad came around stabbing everyone and they all ran outside. He stated his dad stabbed him."

After the violent attack, his wife and two of the children were hospitalized while the other three children were treated and released. Richards was also treated for smoke inhalation at the hospital at which time he told investigators, "I stabbed my family."

According to county documents, "Richards said memories of the incident came in flashes from there, but he remembered thinking that he was a monster and that he'd thought it would be better if they all died rather than waiting for his kids and wife having to deal with the trauma of finding out the truth [about the eviction]."

On top of being a pastor, Richards was also the seventh-grade English teacher at Christ Preparatory Academy while his wife, Stephanie, was the director of Crossroads Christian Preschool and Parents Day Out.

The church made a public statement after the incident.

"The Crossroads Christian Church family is shocked, sickened, and saddened by the events involving our former children’s pastor. This is a tragedy beyond what any of us could have imagined. We give our full cooperation and support to the Shawnee Police Department and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department as they conduct their investigation.

We are offering support and resources to the members of the Richards Family who are victimized and their extended family. The road to recovery will be long-physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Please respect their privacy as they walk this incredibly challenging and painful road. Please join us as we continue to pray for and stand with them.

We also ask for your respect and prayers for the many children and families affected by this incident. We are all grieving with our dear friends who are deeply hurting in so many ways."

Richards is said to be sentenced by the court on March 26.