Man Hits And Kills Someone With A 2x4, Thinks He Can Claim Self-Defence

Watch this police interrogation with intense raw interrogation from the interrogation room as police conduct a full interrogation of a suspect. This raw interrogation footage captures every moment of the suspect interview, complete with deception detection techniques, and criminal psychology in true JCS style interrogation. The Background: Joseph Andrew (A.) Richmond (approximately 31–32 years old in 2014), of Cle Elum, Washington, and Veronica Dresp (his estranged girlfriend/ex-partner) had lived together at a residence in the 1100 block of East Third Street (reported as 1101 East 3rd Street) in Cle Elum. On September 22, 2014, Dresp and Richmond argued; she left the residence, leaving personal items including her phone, identification, and keys. Dennis Higginbotham (Cle Elum resident) and Lonnie Zackuse (a female friend of Dresp) accompanied Dresp back to the residence that night to retrieve her belongings. The dispute arose from the breakup and Richmond’s refusal to allow entry or cooperation in retrieving the items. The Crime: Night of September 22, 2014 (some contemporaneous reports referenced September 23), at the Cle Elum residence. Arguments occurred outside; Richmond called police at one point, an officer responded, mediated, and left. Richmond entered the house, returned with a two-by-four board, and continued arguing with Higginbotham. He warned Higginbotham not to come closer; when Higginbotham took a step toward him, Richmond swung the board like a baseball bat, striking Higginbotham on the head (left side). Higginbotham suffered severe head trauma, became unconscious, was bleeding from the face, and was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he died (reported September 24, 2014). Autopsy determined death from blunt-force injury to the head. No weapons were found on Higginbotham’s body or in his clothing. No verified evidence of calculated planning or evidence tampering. The Investigation: Cle Elum-Roslyn-South Cle Elum police responded and found Higginbotham unconscious and gasping for air; Richmond was arrested that night. Initial charge was first-degree assault; amended to second-degree murder after Higginbotham’s death. Richmond left the scene with his dog in a truck belonging to his boss and went to Thorp School, where he attempted to call friends using someone else’s phone because his own was not working properly. At trial, Richmond claimed self-defense (alleging Higginbotham approached with a flashlight and what appeared to be a knife); Dresp and Zackuse testified as eyewitnesses. The jury rejected the self-defense claim. A first-aggressor instruction was given. Physical evidence included the board; medical evidence confirmed severe head trauma from blunt force. Conviction and Sentencing: Richmond pleaded not guilty. Four-day jury trial in Kittitas County Superior Court; unanimous guilty verdict of second-degree murder (felony murder predicated on assault) on February 9, 2016. Original sentencing on February 26, 2016, by Judge Scott R. Sparks: 240 months (20 years) confinement (within standard range of 175–275 months for offender score 5), credit for approximately 17 months already served, plus 3 years community custody upon release. Anger-management and chemical-dependency evaluations/treatment ordered. Conviction affirmed on appeal (2018); remanded for resentencing on offender-score comparability of an out-of-state (Idaho) conviction. Subsequent resentencings (including after State v. Blake) reduced the confinement term (reported reductions to 231 months and later to a midpoint of 204 months in a 2023 resentencing). Conviction itself was not overturned. true crime,law and crime network,interrogation,interrogation analysis,red thread interrogations,interrogation jcs inspired,interrogation jcs style,interrogation psychology,interrogation psychology jcs inspired,new interrogations 2026,interrogation breakdown,police interrogation psychology,bodycam,interview,case analysis,bodycam footage,crime investigation,police interrogation,suspect interview,int,interrogations 2026,interrogation videos,jcs true crime