Youth Pastor Charged With Arson, Attempted Murder of Wife and Children

A youth pastor in Kansas was arraigned Monday afternoon after being charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated arson. The Shawnee, Kansas Police and Fire departments answered a call reporting a house fire and disturbance on Saturday at 3:47 a.m. According to The Kansas City Star, they put out the basement fire but found Pastor Matthew Richards’ wife, Stephanie, and five children with multiple laceration injuries. The mother and two of the children remain in the hospital. On Monday morning, a memorial featuring flowers and stuffed animals surrounded a tree in the Richards’ front yard. The church said that same day via Facebook that they would be providing support to the family and grief counseling for churchgoers. “The road to recovery will be long — physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually,” the post read.