Dec 11, 2006 11:19 pm US/Eastern
Man Who Killed His Kids, Found Murdered In Prison
by Suzanne Collins
Jessup, MD (WJZ/AP) ―
An Eastern Shore man serving two life sentences for killing his two small children was found dead in a prison shower, authorities said.
Richard Spicknall, 34, was found unresponsive in the shower at the Jessup Correctional Institution around 7:40 p.m. Saturday.
Police tell
WJZ's Suzanne Collins they are investigating Spicknall's death as a homicide and that he died from asphyxiation.
Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead a few minutes later, said Department of Correctional Services spokesman Mark Vernarelli.
Spicknall confessed to killing his 3-year-old daughter, Destiny, and 2-year-old son, Richard, in September 1999 near Cambridge. He originally told state police a carjacker attacked him, threw him off a bridge and drove away with the children. The story fell apart under questioning by state troopers and Spicknall later said he killed the children and tried to commit suicide.
In a statement, Lisa Spicknall said, "It has been a very long and hard seven years. My family, friends, and I are grateful that this chapter is finally over and there is no further worry of future criminal proceedings. Although nothing will ever bring Destiny and Richie back to us, we are now able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that there can be a light at the end of the tunnel. There will never be a closure in our lives, but a weight has been lifted from our shoulders."
Prosecutors withdrew their request for the death penalty after Spicknall entered guilty pleas in November 2000 to two counts of first-degree murder. A judge sentenced him to two consecutive life sentences, plus 20 years.
In January 2002 a guard found Spicknall unconscious in his cell Jan. 9 at the same institution, then called the Maryland House of Correction Annex. He was in a coma for about seven days.
Investigators think that incident was the result of a medical complication not a criminal act.
Saturday's incident will be investigated by the Maryland State Police and by the prison system's internal investigation services, Vernarelli said.
So far no suspects or motives have been announced.
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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