Soldier blames PTSD and Wife's "rape fantasies" for him killing her

[Tennis]

OTTAWA - Melissa Richmond's death was an eerie echo of the violent sex games she played with her husband, a court heard Wednesday.

Testifying in his own defence for the second day, Howard Richmond told his first-degree murder trial the couple had grown sexually adventurous before his post-traumatic stress disorder zapped his libido.

Graveyards, public bathrooms and a local golf course were all trysting spots -- "basically anywhere and everywhere, sir," the soldier told defence lawyer Jason Gilbert.

Those sites also served as backdrops for role-playing.

"I would be a bad man, dressed in black," Richmond said. "She quite enjoyed the rape scenario, sir,"

Thus Richmond often came armed to their sexual encounters.

"We started off using the knife," he said, but they switched to a screwdriver, which provided the feel of cold steel without the danger.

But he still used the knife to cut her out of her clothes.

"She liked to be roughly manhandled," Richmond said. "She liked to be choked.

"That made me quite nervous."

Security camera footage from late on July 24, 2013 -- Melissa's last full day on earth -- show her driving to the South Keys parking lot. Howard follows in his truck, dressed in black and about eight minutes behind her.

Richmond admits he then stabbed her with a screwdriver and a folding knife which were later recovered from a basement hiding spot, still covered in Melissa's blood.

But Richmond says he is not criminally responsible for her death because of PTSD he acquired while serving in the military.

The court has not heard why the Richmonds ended up in the South Keys parking lot; in his initial statements to police he said he had no memory of even going there.

And in his evidence Wednesday, Richmond testified he had grown to loathe the place.

"South Keys was basically becoming a trigger by itself," he told the court.

The movie theatre exuded the smell of buttery popcorn, which brought back memories of snacking soldiers indulging in "pred porn" -- watching live feeds of drone strikes -- in Afghanistan.

It was also crowded with "middle eastern people" -- another trigger, Richmond said -- and people slamming car doors.

After Richmond was placed on medical leave in December 2011 things were "extremely rough" at home he said.

Their robust sex life ground to a halt and Richmond grew to realize the toll his illness was taking on his "joyful" and "bubbly" wife.

"She was using a lot of herself to prop me up," he said.

His evidence continues Friday.

http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/10/28/...es-court-hears

Do you think he should be given leniency in light of this? Based on his testimony did his wife's "rape fantasies" contribute?

[Deleted]

No, you shouldn't get leniency based on such things. You, however, should be institutionalized as the penalty.

[theostrichsays]

Most of the Canadian forces we knew, didn't really see much combat, so if he actually suffered from PTSD, then off to be institutionalized, if he was some pog on a base in Afghan who never saw anything claiming it, then fuck him.

[Deleted]

PTSD is not an excuse since almost all deployed squaddies suffer it in various forms.

[Deleted]

sounds like a case for the nuthouse

[Ayla]

Ok I was expecting some kind of rape fantasy gone bad, accidental stabbing etc due to a momentary lapse or trigger

Buuuut sounds like that didn't happen, this guy deserves jail.

[PosPosPos]

PTSD is not an excuse since almost all deployed squaddies suffer it in various forms.

Riiiiiiiight, because everyone reacts to the same factors the exact same ways.

Let's not point out you yourself admitted they suffer from PTSD in various forms, namely different ways and intensities.

[xezar]

Maybe leniency in that they both engaged in the generally deviant sex stuff willingly, not so much for the PTSD.

[Tennis]

He stabbed her with 2 different weapons. No leniency.

[Sunseeker]

I'm crazy and my wife likes BDSM so it's not my fault because she's a woman who enjoys non-traditional sex and VETERAN CARD!!!

What a crock of shit. If you don't want to do kinky things with a girl, TELL HER NO.

[Cosmic Janitor]

I'm crazy and my wife likes BDSM so it's not my fault because she's a woman who enjoys non-traditional sex and VETERAN CARD!!!

What a crock of shit. If you don't want to do kinky things with a girl, TELL HER NO.

This. /10char<3

[theostrichsays]

I'm crazy and my wife likes BDSM so it's not my fault because she's a woman who enjoys non-traditional sex and VETERAN CARD!!!

What a crock of shit. If you don't want to do kinky things with a girl, TELL HER NO.

To be fair, I think he is Canadian, so do Canadian's get the Veteran card like American's do? I'm asking honestly I don't know much about Canada.

[Mormolyce]

Really think you need to pick one.

[Emageht Tsoluoy]

How sad for her

If there are maximum-security mental facilities, this guy should be imprisoned in one.

You don't get to claim PTSD after using your wife as a pincushion for stabby things.

[Polyxo]

I don't think he should necessarily get leniency. I think it could potentially be a defense. The issue is whether acting out his wife's rape fantasy caused him to have some kind of ptsd attack, and lash out involuntarily. If he can show that's the case, he shouldn't be found guilty, but he should definitely be given a lot of help, as he's now experienced a terrible tragedy here at home as well. If not, then he's guilty.

[Gref]

Wish I had a wife like that.
That aside, definitely he must be institutionalized.

[Spiral Mage]

So what we have is a forum full of people not suffering from PTSD, which causes intense paranoia, blackouts, and violent hallucinations, claiming that none of that should be an excuse for him doing this? That all sounds like an excellent basis for temporary insanity, which is a very real defense. Some of them can slip into a totally alternate reality, which becomes impossible to tell apart from real events.

It's truly tragic what many of these brave, but totally mentally unprepared people volunteer to do in the name of the freedoms that people then take for granted but it's even worse when people then turn around say "fuck this guy," "PTSD isn't an excuse."


I'm glad none of you guys are on his jury, with no understanding just what PTSD can do to someone.

[Independent voter]

My hunch is he just wanted to kill her and now he's saying anything he can to avoid punishment.

[announced]

we still arent sure if he actually saw combat, or was just sitting at the base watching tv and dronestrikes while sitting on a lazy boy. if he didnt see combat and just lounged around the base he doesnt have PTSD and therefore cannot use it as an excuse. he could also be faking it.

[taliey]

I'm just wondering where he got the idea that killing someone was something he should do.

Especially since he's not in a combat zone.