HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A former Henrico County Police Officer faces a life prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to killing his wife and stepdaughter. Richard Crowder, 60, of Varina, entered those pleas Wednesday in Henrico Circuit Court.
Crowder opened fire on the women and police officers who responded to his Varina home in July 2022.
“Diane Crowder , 53, was in the process of leaving her husband and moving out of their home,” Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor said in a statement following the hearing. “She had employed the help of her family, to include her daughter, 35-year-old Carrie Szaksz. During the move, with employees of the moving company upstairs and other family members outside the home, Richard Crowder opened fire on the two women, striking them each numerous times and killing them.”
Family photos provided to WTVRThe movers told investigators that they were warned Crowder was “drunk and agitated,” according to court documents. Those men also told investigators they fled the house after hearing gunshots.