Trial Begins for Third Man Accused of Killing His Uncle

The trial has begun for a third man accused of killing his uncle to avenge his grandmother’s death.

A trial began Tuesday for William Kyle Richards in the 2013 death of Thomas Bracknell.

Authorities say Richards and his two cousins, Mitchell and Brandon Bracknell, beat their uncle with a baseball bat, cut his throat and dropped a TV on his head. The family blamed the victim for killing their grandmother two days before, even though prosecutors say the woman died of natural causes.

Mitchell and Brandon Bracknell have each already pleaded guilty to murder.

Richards’ attorney Susan James told the jury Richards had no reason to kill Thomas Bracknell, as he was not related to the grandmother by blood and wasn’t close to her.
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