Thomas Richardson, 46, of McBain, Michigan, has been found guilty of causing his wife of 23 years to fall to her death from a park cliff on June 22, 2006. Testimony in his trial began on March 3rd and included about 140 witnesses. The jury reached its verdict on April 16th. Juanita Richardson's death was the first fatal fall from a cliff and the first homicide in the 40 year history of the national lakeshore. “We would like to express our enormous appreciation to the Alger County Sheriff’s Department, the Michigan State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and especially to the Alger County Prosecutor's Office, as well as to the National Park Service rangers and special agents that were involved, for the outstanding work and collaboration that led to a thorough investigation of this tragic murder, and to the successful prosecution of Mr. Richardson,” said superintendent Jim Northup. “We were very pleased with the verdict in this case, and feel that justice has been served.” To see the text of the original report, click on the link below.
