Is he still serving a life sentence and in Illinois does that mean life?

He was convicted of murdering Ray and Ruthanne Ritter and stabbing their daughter, who he dated and was infatuated with. After the murders he split town and was found in Salt Lake. When was he picked up there? How long after the murders was he on the run and was he found shortly after the UM segment? And wasn't this case featured on AMW as well?

He's still in jail - They captured him I believe working at a fast food resturant. I believe he struck a deal and got a life sentence without the possibility of parole in exchange for prosecutors not seeking the death penalty.

I know a lot of the cases on UM are tragic and senseless but this one is so senseless with a young man with his whole life ahead of him flying off the handle and throwing his whole life away because he got into a fight with his ex-girlfriend. You can say Richard Church had mental issues and I understand that but from the segment it seemed that he certainly wasn't so far gone with his problems (his parents divorce, other insecurities, the breakup with Colleen) that he couldn't turn his life around.

Just senseless.

So how long after fleeing did he get away and didn't he get captured because of the UM segment? How long after the initial UM segment aired was he caught?

And yes, this was completely senseless and I'm glad they caught someone that psychotic.

So how long after fleeing did he get away and didn't he get captured because of the UM segment? How long after the initial UM segment aired was he caught?

The segment aired in November 1990. Richard Church was on the run from the time of the murders in August 1988 until he was caught in early 1992, so his capture may not have directly resulted from the broadcast of the UM segment. He pled guilty to the murders in July 1992, less than four years after the crime.

He was working at a fast food joint when he was recognised by a policeman. This probably had more to do with his picture being plastered everywhere than the UM segment. Up until then he had eluded capture because he disappeared into some underground cult. If I remember correctly, he remained on the run for three years.

It would be interesting to know how he feels about what he did. If he went crazy, was there ever a psychiatric report done on him? So stupid that he ruined his life, ruined his parents' lives (to say nothing of the Ritters') and made himself a murderer, all because of a breakup with his girlfriend (and his parents getting divorced). I wonder if there was anything that could have been done to help him before it was too late.

So sad. I'm not sorry for him, mind you. I'm just sad that he threw his life away, became a murderer and ruined the lives of the Ritter family - and all for what - that he just couldn't accept it was over with Colleen and he was upset with his parents' separation?

I just looked up his inmate status and this is what I found.

He got life plus 2 30 years sentences.
Looks like life means life in IL.
Here is his info in case anyone cares to look it up. B35542 - CHURCH, RICHARD J.
There is a picture and conviction information there.

Copied from web site. Bold is mine


Some inmates convicted of non-violent crimes must spend 50% of their sentences incarcerated. Others who are convicted of violent crimes must spend 85% of their sentences incarcerated under "truth in sentencing" laws, or 100% if convicted of murder. The inmate's release date is based on the custody date of the crime which is set by the sentencing court.

Is he still serving a life sentence and in Illinois does that mean life?

He was convicted of murdering Ray and Ruthanne Ritter and stabbing their daughter, who he dated and was infatuated with. After the murders he split town and was found in Salt Lake. When was he picked up there? How long after the murders was he on the run and was he found shortly after the UM segment? And wasn't this case featured on AMW as well?

According to the inmate query from the Illinois Department of Corrections inmate database, this is what he got:

Taken into custody in November 1991 (he was on the run for 3 years), and sentenced in August of 1992 and received: a life sentence for murder, 30 years for attempted murder, and 30 years for the home invasion.

Yes folks, in Illinois, if you were convicted of a murder AND sentenced to life after 1978, life means life without parole. Church barring a successful appeal or clemency from the Governor is not going anywhere.

I definitely think Mr. Church just couldn't handle his life and went off the deep end. Too many bad things happened to him in a short period of time and I think it just overloaded his brain circuits. I'm not making excuses for him; when things like this happen, I try to figure out the person' motivations for doing what they did. It helps me from getting sad or depressed over people and their actions. I think if he would have just stopped and thought about what he was doing, he wouldn't have done it; but obviously he was not in his right mind.

I definitely think Mr. Church just couldn't handle his life and went off the deep end. Too many bad things happened to him in a short period of time and I think it just overloaded his brain circuits. I'm not making excuses for him; when things like this happen, I try to figure out the person' motivations for doing what they did. It helps me from getting sad or depressed over people and their actions. I think if he would have just stopped and thought about what he was doing, he wouldn't have done it; but obviously he was not in his right mind.

The sad thing is that, I think if you asked Richard about why he did what he did....he probably couldn't remember any of it or give you a rational for his action.

Richard Church was a typical crime of passion. A "quick flash or raging red anger" cultivated by internal insecurities, a broken heart and basic stupidity.

What makes Richard Church's case so scary is that there is really no defense or prevention for it. Unless your never going to enter a relationship ever again or lock yourself in your closet.

What was also so frightening was that there was no reasoning with him. Colleen mentioned in the interview that she tried talking to him, playing dead, pretending she still loved him- ANYTHING to get him to stop, but he was just on a rampage, completely out of his mind. I always get chills when RS says, "Rick never spoke. He began to stab Colleen." When someone is that enraged, there's no stopping them.
I wonder how Colleen is doing today.

This was a sad, tragic case. I will say that I always found it somewhat odd how removed from the tragedy Colleen seemed to be on the segment. I know it's probably her way of dealing, but it just seemed like she was telling a story about someone else, and not herself. Anybody else notice that?

1.Keep in mind that it is a TV show. What we are looking at are takes that the editor and director chose when editing the segment. So for all we know there were some moments were she broked down and seemed more emotional, but for times sake and for production they were cut. We also don't know that she was crying and falling apart before the segment was shooting and just composed herself in front of the camera. Also keep in mind that she's not an actor and probably is extrememly nervous being in front of the camera.

2. The more I learn about human behavior, the more I began to realize that there are a lot of people who just simply don't show their emotions viusually. From the ball player, that treats a world series win like he just one a typical game. To a survivor of 9-11, who seems more bored than exhaulted. People just don't always show their emotions. This is what makes profiling and interviewing suspects so difficult. a quadruple murderer could seem like he just came back from the bathroom, or he can act like an emotional wreck.

This was a sad, tragic case. I will say that I always found it somewhat odd how removed from the tragedy Colleen seemed to be on the segment. I know it's probably her way of dealing, but it just seemed like she was telling a story about someone else, and not herself. Anybody else notice that?

Yep, that stood out to me from the very beginning as unusual. I figured that a few years had passed between the murders and her interview (but was it really a few years? I don't know) and that was why she seemed a bit distant instead of distraught.

Also, Mastermind has some good insight as to why she would appear to be unemotional on camera. I know that if I were in such a situation, I would be so nervous that I would probably incriminate myself, even though I was actually the victim. :eek:

Rick Church will probably never get out of prison. I hope Collen is doing well today despite her past.

1.Keep in mind that it is a TV show. What we are looking at are takes that the editor and director chose when editing the segment. So for all we know there were some moments were she broked down and seemed more emotional, but for times sake and for production they were cut. We also don't know that she was crying and falling apart before the segment was shooting and just composed herself in front of the camera. Also keep in mind that she's not an actor and probably is extrememly nervous being in front of the camera.

It is also entirely possible that Colleen broke down during filming of her interview and that the UM crew excluded that from the final cut of the segment, perhaps at Colleen's request or to ensure that her grief wasn't being exploited.

Rick Church will probably never get out of prison. I hope Collen is doing well today despite her past.

For killing 2 innocent people Church should've gotten death. Illinois has chickened out of the DP for some reason . In Texas Church would've gotten death for sure.

I remember the Church segment from both UM and AMW. They repeated it many times on UM.

Actually, it is hardly for certain that Church would have got death even in Texas. The prosecutors pled Church out, so blame them for him not getting death. In Texas, at the time the murders were committed 1988, it was a lot harder to give the death penalty. In fact, unlike now where Church would meet two aggravating factors for the possibility of a death sentence, multiple murders and murders during a home invasion or burglary, in fact in 1988 in Texas, I know for sure the multiple murder aggravator did not exist for the death penalty there.

In fact, it is not nearly as easy to get the death penalty in Texas people think. It is just that Texas juries are much more conservative, thus, if it is a capital case and the death penalty is being pursued, the jury is much more likely to convict since people that support the death penalty on average tend to be much more conservative than those who do not.

In Texas, according to current law, the following types of murder make a crime a capital felony which carries either life in prison or death:

Murder of a Public Safety Officer (Police, firefighters, EMT) in the line of duty.

Murder during the commission of certain specified felonies, i.e. kidnapping, burglary, robbery, aggravated rape and arson.

Murder for remuneration or financial gain.

Multiple Murders.

Murder during a prison escape.

Murder of a correctional officer.

Murder of a Judge.

Murder by a state prison inmate who is serving a life sentence for any of five offenses, I believe these include Capital Murder, Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Rape, and I am not sure of the others.

Murder of an individual under the age of 6.

Now in Illinois, the reason why Illinois is moving against the death penalty is because their death penalty system is incredibly dysfunctional. Hell, they have had more innocent people released from their death row than have been executed. Church took responsibility for his actions, he pled guilty, he is safe and secure from society and is not going anywhere barring clemency from the Governor. Even if Church had got death he would still be serving a life sentence anyway because Governor George Ryan as he was leaving office commuted all the death sentences to life in January of 2003.

Now in Illinois, the reason why Illinois is moving against the death penalty is because their death penalty system is incredibly dysfunctional. Hell, they have had more innocent people released from their death row than have been executed. Church took responsibility for his actions, he pled guilty, he is safe and secure from society and is not going anywhere barring clemency from the Governor. Even if Church had got death he would still be serving a life sentence anyway because Governor George Ryan as he was leaving office commuted all the death sentences to life in January of 2003.

When they catch that guy who literally BUTCHERED 5 people in Beason, IL there will be people screaming for death. There already are.

The gore and carnage was SO BAD at that crime scene that some EMT workers and first responders got PHYSICALLY SICK and some just outright QUIT!!

Big 3's company, save the dramatics. You did not have put the word butchered in capital letters for me to get the point. Yes, I am well aware they were butchered. I would imagine any scene where people are killed, let alone hacked to death would be disturbing. However again, that does not warrant the death penalty. What would really be accomplished by 'executing' aka murdering another human being? Even if you could kill Church the exact same way he killed his victims, what does that really accomplish? Nothing. It does not bring the people he killed back does it? No. Plus, I think it is much more punishment for Church to sit in general population in the Menard Correctional Center than any death could be for him. He is never getting out, never going anywhere. Again, I was respectful towards your opinion, please respect mine. Thank you.

It is also entirely possible that Colleen broke down during filming of her interview and that the UM crew excluded that from the final cut of the segment, perhaps at Colleen's request or to ensure that her grief wasn't being exploited.

Good point. I didn't mean to imply that she was cold or had no feelings, I just always remembered her being removed from the situation, but I understand that this might be one's way of dealing. Hell, I don't know how in the world I would be able to react and deal under similar circumstances; just making an observation.

Last I read, Colleen attended the sentencing of Church, and is engaged to be married, so I hope she's doing well.

Interestingly, did you guys know that when Church escaped, he went underground with the Tony Alamo cult? Alamo was featured on UM! 6 degrees of....

Interestingly, did you guys know that when Church escaped, he went underground with the Tony Alamo cult? Alamo was featured on UM! 6 degrees of....

I know! I've often wondered if there are more cases on UM that have connections to one another.

Aside from the whole Octopus/INSLAW cases, I can't think of any others.

One or two of the child abduction cases may be committed by the same person.

It has been theorized by more than one person that the Circleville Writer and the Ohio Prostitute Serial Killer may be one and the same. I don't believe it, but it is interesting.

http://www.idoc.state.il.us/subsections/search/inms.asp

in case anyone wants to see what Richard Church looks like today.

http://www.idoc.state.il.us/subsections/search/inms.asp

in case anyone wants to see what Richard Church looks like today.

I wanted to see what he looks like but when I clicked on it it said inmate not found!

Go to the Illinois Department of Corrections website. You should see an inmate search option somewhere on the screen. Enter the name Church. It will bring up different people with the name Church. Look until you find the name Richard Church with a birthdate of 1969 and it will come up.

Big 3's company, save the dramatics. You did not have put the word butchered in capital letters for me to get the point. Yes, I am well aware they were butchered. I would imagine any scene where people are killed, let alone hacked to death would be disturbing. However again, that does not warrant the death penalty. What would really be accomplished by 'executing' aka murdering another human being? Even if you could kill Church the exact same way he killed his victims, what does that really accomplish? Nothing. It does not bring the people he killed back does it? No. Plus, I think it is much more punishment for Church to sit in general population in the Menard Correctional Center than any death could be for him. He is never getting out, never going anywhere. Again, I was respectful towards your opinion, please respect mine. Thank you.

WHAT??!?? :eek:

Killing FIVE people doesn't warrant the death penalty???!? That is EXACTLY the kind of case WHY we have the death penalty.

The execution tomorrow in Georgia of a guy who committed a murder during a robbery is an instance where you can make a case for no DP because many murders during a robbery don't result in the DP while few do BUT ANY case where 5 people are killed at once is the very reason we have the DP!!

Again Big 3's company save the dramatics.

Also Big 3's company you were lying or mistaken when you said Church killed 5 people. He killed two people. There are a lot of people who kill two people, many of whom do not get the death penalty yet as you pointed out (one of the rare times you and I will agree on anything) there are many people who get the death penalty for killing 'only' one person during a robbery. I will not get into specifics but that guy that is due to be killed in Georgia tomorrow, I have communicated with his lawyer before. She is the lawyer on a Florida case, I write to her client in Florida as I believe he is an innocent man.

However a word to the wise Big 3's company, if you are going to act all overly dramatic and all that at least do your research before you spout off. Rick Church murdered two people. He did try to kill two other people too. However Attempted Murder is not a death penalty eligible crime in any state. Nor should it be.

Your ongoing obsession with Rick Church is truly bizarre. Like it or not he is serving a life sentence because your prosecutor buddies pled him out. He pled guilty to avoid the death penalty, I do not see anything wrong with that, particularly when it was the prosecutors that offered the deal. He saved the taxpayers time and money on a trial, on a future execution, Colleen and her family know exactly where Rick Church is and where he will spend the rest of his days. Rick Church, since he pled guilty, the odds of him getting this case overturned on appeal are virtually zero. He is serving LWOP in addition to concurrent 30 year sentences on attempted murder and home invasion charges. The only way Rick Church will ever be getting out of there is if the Governor were to grand clemency.

Kadrmas15 you must be only 15 or younger because you don't know how to read!! I was referring to the 5 murders in Beason,IL and if you knew how to read properly you would simply scroll above and see that's what I was referring to!

Nice try Big 3's company but your 'comeback' basically using my comeback and trying to use it as your own will not work. For the record I am 25 years of age. Also Big 3's company, YOU are the one that has reading comprehension issues, not me. I was talking about Rick Church, not some unrelated case you were talking about. You took a comment I made about Church and then brought up an unrelated case. I guess the intent of that was to try to make me look soft because someone 'butchered' five people. Yet you are immature and had to include it in capital letters. I think when you say the word butchered, people get the idea without the creepy ALL CAPS being thrown in.

Illinois has not gone soft on the DP. They never really had an effective death penalty to begin with. Yes Big 3, lets sentence this guy to death. He will sit there for 20 to 25 years bleeding appeals, like it or not that is how our system is. We have laws in this country not vigilante justice or martial law so if you want that go over to China or Iran or North Korea. So this guy will sit there for 20 years or more and the victims family will continue to wait for him to die evidently thinking that will somehow right the wrongs of the past.

When a state has a death penalty as dysfunctional as Illinois's is they need to do away with it altogether. Illinois has had more innocent men released from death row than they have executed! That is a problem for me that the State of Illinois is evidently that corrupt to where they cannot even get the right people on death row if they insist on having a death penalty. I would rather not have a death penalty than risk killing an innocent person but that is just me.

Just saw this case on the re-released Amazon version. Pretty gruesome crime.
For what it is worth the segment appears to be missing some content at the end, a rather clumsy update given as well.
I wonder if he is still in jail or been released yet.

He's still in jail serving his life sentence without the possibility of parole.