OTTAWA – After eight days of deliberations, a jury has found Howard Richmond guilty of first-degree murder in the stabbing death of his wife.
The body of Melissa Richmond, 28, was found in a ditch near the South Keys Shopping Center three days after she had been reported missing by Richmond on July 25, 2013.
The couple were from Winchester.
The 53-year-old Canadian soldier had admitted to killing his wife but had blamed PTSD for his actions.
Howard Richmond’s lawyers had argued that he should not be held criminally responsible for his actions.
But that didn’t wash with the jury.
Shortly after the verdict, the investigating officer read a victim impact statement on behalf of Melissa’s family that brought jurors to tears, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
First-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
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