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Man pleads guilty to murdering 4 family members near Casa Grande

Prosecutors were seeking the death penalty in the murder case against Richard Wilson before the defendant decided to plead guilty.

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. — The Pinal County man accused of murdering his parents, sister and 5-year-old niece has recently pleaded guilty to the crimes. 

Court records show that Richard Wilson, 23, pleaded guilty on Jan. 8 to four counts of first-degree murder concerning the deaths of his four family members on Sept. 4, 2022. 

Wilson will be given a natural life sentence without the possibility of parole, according to the terms of the plea agreement.

Pinal County prosecutors had filed paperwork last December signaling their intention to seek the death penalty against Wilson if the defendant had been found guilty of the murders at trial.

Wilson was taken into custody after deputies responded to a 911 call from a home near Rosemead Drive and Bel Air Road, just outside of Casa Grande, where they found Wilson with blood on his clothes. 

Wilson's four deceased family members were found inside the home. The four victims appeared to have been beaten before they were killed with a knife, court records show.

The sheriff's office identified the victims as 47-year-old Richard Wilson, the suspect's father, 50-year-old Ellen Otterman, the suspect's mother, 16-year-old Rudy Wilson, the suspect's sister, and 5-year-old Renaya White, the suspect's niece.

The defendant could be officially sentenced at his next court date on Feb. 9.

*Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.*   

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