Copperas Cove Police Department Bryan Richardson
Bryan Richardson, 27, is accused of stabbing his wife and two children to death and then lying in bed with their bodies, police said. On December 12, Copperas Cove Police Department in central Texas said they found Richardson on a bed with the bodies of his wife, son and daughter, covered in blood, according to a criminal complaint obtained by KWTX.
The police department issued a statement on their Facebook page about the incident. It said that police officers responded to a welfare check call for a residence on the 1300 block of Fairbanks Street on December 12 at 9:32 p.m. When they entered the home they found “three deceased individuals.” According to the statement, “A fourth individual was located in the residence and was taken to the police department for questioning.”
That person was later identified as Richardson. He was charged with three counts of murder and is currently in jail on a $2.25 million bond, authorities said.
Police Found Large Pools of Blood in Multiple Areas of the Home
FacebookBryan Richardson and his wife Kiera Michelle Ware
The criminal complaint obtained by KWTX stated that police identified Richardson’s wife as Kiera Michelle Ware, but the children were only identified as “CR” and “BR.” Facebook photos show that the couple had a son and a daughter. The complaint also indicated that the welfare check call came from Ware’s brother.
It stated that when police arrived at the home, Ware’s brother shone a flashlight into the home, “illuminating a dark liquid on the floor,” KWTX wrote. Officers entered the home and found “a large amount of blood on the kitchen and living room floors.” They also found a small dog in the kitchen in a pool of blood.
Officers then found a corner room with a locked door and a “large pool of blood on the floor just outside the door.” After forcing entry, they found Richardson in bed with the three bodies of his family members, covered in blood, KWTX reported. The complaint indicated that one child, “BR” was lying next to his mother and wrapped in a blanket. The other, “CR,” was next to their sibling and covered with a comforter.
The police department said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information about the case is urged to call the Copperas Cove Police Department at 254-547-8222 or Copperas Cove Crime Stoppers at 254-547-1111.
Richardson Had Self-Inflicted Wounds on His Arms & Told Officers He Lost His Job
FacebookKiera Michelle Ware
The criminal complaint stated that Richardson told officers he didn’t know what happened, KWTX reported. It also stated that officers found a kitchen knife covered in blood on a table with an empty six-pack of beer and an empty pill bottle for Trazodone, a prescription antidepressant. Officers also noted that Richardson had three cuts on his left arm, and he told them they were self-inflicted.
During the booking process, Richardson was asked on a form if he was worried about losing his job, his wife or custody of his kids, and he told officers, “I already lost all of those,” according to KWTX. Richardson’s Facebook page indicates that he worked at vitamin and supplement shop GNC and he’s originally from Virginia.
According to Ware’s Facebook page, she and Richardson married in 2015, and both of them frequently posted photos of their children. The oldest child was in pre-kindergarten at Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy, the school district said. “Our hearts are broken with this tragedy, especially at this time of the year,” the district’s Director of Behavioral Support Rhonda Burnell told KWTX in a statement.
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