Hendrika Elizabeth Richards, 79, was found dead inside her Newport News home on April 21, 2025, after police conducted a welfare check. The medical examiner ruled her death a homicide. She had a gunshot wound to the chest; her body was wrapped in a tarp and bound with duct tape and rope. A Smith & Wesson firearm was nearby with four spent casings and one unfired cartridge. Neighbors said they had not seen Hendrika or her husband for several weeks, complicating the timeline.

Police named her 82-year-old husband as the only person of interest. He was located in a hospital with injuries to his arms and hands and gave inconsistent accounts, at one point saying Hendrika had died April 1 from a heart attack after learning his cancer had spread. Fifteen months earlier, in February 2024, Hendrika had been shot by her husband in an incident ruled accidental; a reckless handling charge was later set aside. No murder charges have been filed as investigators and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office review the case.

Did anyone in Newport News know the Richardses or notice their absence in the weeks before April 21?