Thoughts & Prayers

At first, when the stunning news of a brutal murder was released to the public of yet another woman alone late at night having been attacked and killed, it appeared a straightforward case of a mysterious death. Melissa Richmond had been missing for several days. Her husband had alerted police that his wife hadn't returned home after going out for a solitary drive, which evidently wasn't unusual for her.

Melissa and Howard Richmond have a wide circle of friends, they were socially involved, they were volunteers at their local food bank.

A large group of people became immediately involved, fanning out to try to figure out where she might have gone. She was simply missing. No trace could be found of her whereabouts, not around Winchester where they lived, nor at some of their frequently-visited Ottawa-area haunts. Some of her friends were truly distraught, pledging their continuing search until they discovered where their friend was.

In the end the car owned by Melissa Richmond was spotted parked on a lot at close by the South Keys Shopping Centre. Her belongings were found in the vehicle, but no sign of her to be seen. The following day, however, police began searching around the parking lot, around nearby bushes in a ravine. And that is where she was discovered, partially clad, stabbed numerous times, her body already decomposing.

Her grieving husband, 50 to his wife's 28 years of age, described her as a life-saving rock of emotional and practical support while he battled post-traumatic stress disorder. He is a military veteran, a combat engineer who served quite a few missions abroad during his 28 years of service, including several in Afghanistan. Scheduled to retire next year, his wife spoke with happy anticipation of their plans to travel together.

Howard Richmond was involved with an Internet support group for people with PTSD. And he often posted messages on the website, receiving in return generous support from others who participated in the group. "I have a good support team with me. Over half of them are C(anadian) F(orces), one is a buddy I have been on tour with", he responded when others in the support group forwarded their condolences: "Thoughts & prayers for you tonight, brother", with news of his wife's body discovered.

Previous to that sad event, he wrote a message that read "So today I put on my cadpats (uniform), my secret squirrel black balaclava and sunglasses and did a ruck march past NDHQ (National Defence Headquarters), the Parliament Buildings and CFRA in the market with the 'PTSD is not FACELESS' flag on a pole on my ruck. I feel drained but not bat s**t crazy. I really needed to prove it to myself that I could. I hope it was noticed. I will let you know when I'm going to do it again."

The day before his wife disappeared he sent the forum a phoenix image; superimposed on it: "Sometimes you just have to die a little inside in order to be Reborn and Rise again as a Stronger and Wiser version of you." Now, it appears that it was not he who died a little, but his wife who died a whole lot, not to be reborn, not to rise again. Her husband has been charged with first-degree murder in her death.

It seems Howard Richmond had taken to his own vehicle -- when his wife left in her Chrysler Sebring that night -- following her. A video taken from a gas station on the route showed both of them filling up with gas. He eventually returned to their home in Winchester. Her vehicle was recognized several days later by a server who worked at an Ottawa Denny's restaurant, because of her distinctive license plate: "RPGGIRL", and it was he who notified police.

Her husband, on the day he had arranged for a memorial meeting where all her friends would gather to speak of their affection for their lost friend, posted a message on Facebook. To inform mourners that donations to the Winchester Food Bank where they used to volunteer would be appreciated instead of flowers.

And he went along to the police station to surrender to police. Pre-empting what he obviously knew to be the inevitable.