Young Woman Self Exits W/ Gun Longer Than Arms In Mayor's Home - 2 Yrs Later Another Girl Is Dead
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Jennifer Kirk was found dead in Mayor Clement Richards Sr.'s home in May 2018; her death was ruled a self-exit despite strangulation marks and a gun longer than her arm.
- ❖Anthony Richards, the mayor's son and Jennifer's boyfriend, was found covered in her blood but was not arrested or thoroughly investigated.
- ❖Two years later, Susanna Norton was found dead in the same house, also strangled, and linked to another mayor's son, Amos Richards, who had a history of domestic violence against her.
- ❖All three of Mayor Richards' sons have a combined 31 criminal cases and 16 domestic violence charges against six different victims, none resulting in felony convictions.
- ❖Mayor Clement Richards Sr. himself had a felony domestic violence charge for brutally assaulting his pregnant wife, which was not brought up during his mayoral campaigns.
- ❖Judges and prosecutors allegedly showed leniency to the Richards sons, with one judge citing his acquaintance with their parents as a reason for low bail.
- ❖Police investigations into the deaths of Jennifer Kirk and Susanna Norton were criticized for being brief, contradictory, and failing to communicate with victims' families.
- ❖The host suggests a 'culture of silence' and political influence contributed to the lack of justice for the victims, particularly highlighting the plight of missing and murdered indigenous women in Alaska.
Insights
1Jennifer Kirk's Suspicious Death and Police Negligence
Jennifer Kirk, 25, was found dead in Mayor Clement Richards Sr.'s home in May 2018. Her death was ruled a self-exit by local police within one day, despite the medical examiner finding strangulation marks on her neck and the rifle used being physically longer than her arm. Her boyfriend, Anthony Richards (the mayor's son), was found covered in her blood but was not arrested or thoroughly questioned. Anthony had a documented history of domestic violence and sexual assault, including prior assaults and strangulation attempts against Jennifer.
Police report noted the rifle was 27 1/8 inches long, while Jennifer's arm was 26 3/16 inches. The medical examiner found clear handprints and strangulation marks on Jennifer's neck. Anthony admitted to strangling her prior to her death, claiming self-defense. Police closed the case as a self-exit within one day.
2Susanna Norton's Death and the Richards Family's Pattern of Violence
Two years after Jennifer Kirk's death, Susanna 'Suzu' Norton, 30, was found dead in the same mayor's house in March 2020, also with strangulation marks. She was linked to another of Mayor Richards' sons, Amos Richards, who had a history of violently abusing her, including dragging her by her hair and kicking her repeatedly while she was 6 months pregnant. The investigation into Suzu's death has been stalled, with authorities claiming it's an 'ongoing investigation' to deny FOIA requests, while her family states no actual investigation is occurring.
Suzu Norton was found beaten and strangled. Amos Richards had a documented incident where he violently assaulted a pregnant Suzu Norton. The Alaskan State Troopers' MMIP unit released a public video asking for tips, which the host criticizes as a failure to actively investigate.
3Systemic Failures and Political Influence in the Justice System
The Richards family, including Mayor Clement Richards Sr. and his three sons (Amos, Clement Jr., and Anthony), collectively faced at least 31 criminal cases and 16 domestic violence charges against six victims. None of these charges resulted in felony domestic violence convictions. Mayor Richards himself had a felony domestic violence charge for brutally assaulting his 8-month pregnant wife, Annette, which was not publicized during his political career. Judges and prosecutors allegedly showed leniency, with one judge lowering Anthony's bail, citing his familiarity with the Richards parents.
Mayor Clement Richards Sr. held political office from 1999-2018 despite a public record of felony domestic violence. His wife, Annette, later worked with prosecutors who became judges overseeing her sons' cases. Judge Paul Roman lowered Anthony's bail from $7,500 to $2,500, stating, 'I know Mrs. Richards for when she used to work with the troopers… Mr. Richards has been part of city council.' Prosecutors often offered misdemeanor pleas for felony assault charges.
4The 'Culture of Silence' and Impact on Indigenous Women
The podcast highlights a pervasive 'culture of silence' in Katsubu, Alaska, where accusations of violence, particularly against indigenous women, are often dismissed or ignored by authorities. This systemic neglect is exacerbated by the disproportionately high rates of violence against indigenous women in Alaska, who are killed at 10 times the national average. The lack of comprehensive federal databases to track missing and murdered indigenous women further compounds the problem.
Ashley Johnson Bar's father stated, 'Some ladies and young girls sure did try and go and speak up. Guess what happened? Nothing happened.' Alaska has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the US, with indigenous women being particularly vulnerable. There is no comprehensive federal database to track missing and murdered indigenous women.
Lessons
- Contact the Katsubu Police Department and Alaska State Troopers to inquire about the ongoing investigations into the deaths of Jennifer Kirk and Susanna Norton.
- Submit Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for case files related to the Richards family's criminal history and the investigations into Jennifer Kirk's and Susanna Norton's deaths to promote transparency.
- Engage with online content and discussions about Jennifer Kirk and Susanna Norton to raise awareness and pressure authorities for thorough and unbiased investigations.
- Support organizations and initiatives dedicated to addressing the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous persons (MMIP) and advocating for justice for indigenous women.
- Advocate for judicial and law enforcement accountability, especially in cases involving political figures or patterns of domestic violence, to prevent similar systemic failures.
Notable Moments
Description of Katsubu, Alaska's extreme daylight cycles, from perpetual darkness to constant light, and its impact on mental health, including high rates of seasonal depression.
Establishes the unique, isolated, and potentially challenging environment where these events unfold, hinting at factors that might contribute to social issues and a lack of oversight.
The police chief's open letter to the Katsubu community, attempting to reframe the investigation into Jennifer Kirk's death with contradictory information.
Demonstrates a lack of transparency and accountability from law enforcement, as the chief's statements about investigation duration and medical examiner findings directly contradicted previous reports and family accounts.
Quotes
"Her arm is shorter than the gun, but they believe she self-exited."
"Goddamn [expletive] set me up like this. Set me up. Ain't that a bitch?"
"If someone had taken accusations against Peter seriously, Ashley would still be alive. Many of Peter's relatives would have been safer. Ashley's dad states, 'Our daughter started something. No more silence.'"
"I know Mrs. Richards for when she used to work with the troopers. Um, she has a lot of experience with these types of cases and knows what these are like. Um, Mr. Richards, um, has been part of, uh, city council. If you're not now, I don't know if you are now. So, he's, you know, been a part of the local community and they're going to be fine third parties. I think"
"The natural result of a punch or a kick or kind of your typical misdemeanor assault is a bruise or an injury, that sort of thing. The result of strangulation, if if it's not stopped, if a person can't breathe, is death. And that's a serious thing... Keep that in mind."
"When it's rich billionaires who jettison themselves to the bottom of the ocean, we've got enough resources and money to send the Coast Guard to the bottom of the sea to retrieve their bodies and the debris. When it's two indigenous women, no one cares. Suddenly, there's no more money, no more resources, no bother, no care. This is documented discrimination in broad daylight."
Q&A
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