Nancy J. Richards

Murder charge filed against Columbus man

By Chris Schilling, Reporter

A Columbus man was arrested this afternoon on murder charges following the death of his wife.

Robert Richards was booked into Bartholomew County Jail at 12:45 p.m. today on a preliminary charge of murder.

Nancy J. Richards, 44, of Road 25E, was found by a sheriff's deputy in her bed with a gunshot wound to the back of her head, according to Bartholomew County Sheriff's Department.

Richards' body was discovered as police investigated a suicide attempt by Richards' husband, Robert, who was found in a Columbus subdivision bleeding from a serious cut to his left wrist.

Robert Richards, whose age was unavailable Saturday morning, was taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for the wrist wound.

Robert and Nancy Richards had been married for seven years, Bartholomew County Sheriff Mark Gorbett said.


Additional note from ICADV:

Shot by husband, Robert (after telling him she filed for divorce), because he thought she was having an affair - he attempted to kill himself with a knife after the murder, but survived the suicide attempt.

Alan Duvall

Alan Duvall

Duvall Poisoned Husband to Death to Collect $100,000 Insurance Policy

By Pete Kotz
Thursday, August 12, 2010

In 2007, Alan Duvall was found dead in his Columbus, Indiana backyard, presumably from alcohol poisoning. His wife Tami had called 911 to report the incident, and police initially seemed to believe her story. But those beliefs would soon wither...

The couple had been having marital problems. Only a month before Alan's death, Tami had taken out a $100,000 life insurance policy on her husband. And police believe she was having an affair with the insurance agent who arranged it.

Moreover, Alan had been warning friends and neighbors of his own death. He told them that if he died, they should make sure it was investigated. Tami's ex-husband and her own daughter would also tell police that they thought she had whacked Alan.

The evidence would only get more damning. It would turn out that Alan didn't die of alcohol poisoning. He'd actually been fed morphine and muscle relaxer. His blood disclosed that it possessed both drugs at 80 time their recommended dosage. And to top it all off, those same drugs just happened to be missing from the nursing home where Tami worked.

It would take police three years to put their case together, but they've finally charged her with murdering Alan. They say she mixed the drugs into pudding she served him. She's now charged with murder, insurance fraud, and obstruction of justice.

UPDATE

April 21, 2011

Tami Duvall was accused of murdering her husband back in August of 2007 by poisoning his dessert with morphine and muscle relaxants. The jury in her trial began deliberating at about 9am yesterday morning, the 10th day of the trial, after hearing final instructions from the judge. Six hours later they had reached a decision.

According to The Republic, Duvall was found guilty on all counts; six counts of insurance fraud, three counts of obstruction of justice, and murder. All charges are felonies.

The 12-member jury, comprised of five men and seven women, believed the prosecutors, who alleged that Duvall poisoned a “dirt pudding” dessert that she served to her husband. Alan Duvall later died from a morphine overdose.

It is said that the reason for this murder was so she could collect on the $100,000 life insurance policy she bought for him a month before his death.

Faith VanArsdale

Boyfriend May Be Involved With Death

November 14, 2006

(COLUMBUS) - Columbus police are interviewing the boyfriend of a woman found dead Sunday.

Forty-one-year old Dana Roberts is a suspect in the death of 39-year old Faith VanArsdale.

Roberts reportedly drove to Indianapolis following the killing and told city police where to find VanArsdale's corpse.

Police discovered the woman's body at her home, the apparent victim of strangulation.

Roberts is a convicted sex offender who had allegedly been violent towards VanArsdale in the past.

From the appellate decision:

On November 11, 2006, Roberts was living in Columbus with his girlfriend of eleven weeks, Faith Vanarsdale, and her two children, five-year-old T.R. and seven-year-old C.R. At approximately 11:30 p.m., Roberts returned home from work, the children were asleep on the couch, and Vanarsdale took a shower and went upstairs to go to bed. Roberts ate dinner, drank a forty-ounce beer, and went to the bedroom to go to bed.

When he got to the bedroom, Vanarsdale and Roberts began arguing. Vanarsdale slapped Roberts and began screaming. Roberts placed Vanarsdale in a chokehold until she lost consciousness. He wrapped his arm around Vanarsdale’s neck, held her face to the mattress, and put his weight on top of her. Vanarsdale weighed approximately 100 pounds, and Roberts weighed approximately 200 pounds. When Roberts released Vanarsdale, she was dead. Vanarsdale’s death was caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain and the inability to move air into her lungs. Roberts hid Vanarsdale’s naked body under the bed, left the house, and drove to Indianapolis.

In the early morning hours of November 12, 2006, Roberts called 911 and reported the death. The 911 operator informed Roberts that he should go to the City County Building and turn himself in. Roberts did so, admitting to a Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy that he had killed Vanarsdale. The incident was reported to the Columbus Police Department which eventually confirmed Vanarsdale’s death. During an interview with Detective Marc Kruchten of the Columbus Police Department, Roberts admitted to killing Vanarsdale.

On November 13, 2006, the State charged Roberts with murder. At trial, Roberts testified and again admitted to killing Vanarsdale. A jury found Roberts guilty, and the trial court sentenced him to sixty-two years.