Date: January 16, 2026
Re: State v. Theodore Richards, Jr.
On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, Theodore Richards, Jr., 40, of Baltimore, was convicted of Attempted Second Degree Murder, Attempted First Degree Rape, Attempted Second Degree Rape, and First Degree Assault following a four-day jury trial before the Honorable Paul W. Ishak in the Circuit Court for Harford County.
Evidence presented at trial proved that on June 26, 2025, at approximately 11:18 p.m., law enforcement responded to a reported assault at a residence in Edgewood, Maryland. Officers made contact with the victim, who reported a series of escalating incidents involving her former partner, Theodore Richards Jr. The victim explained that on June 23, 2025, she ended her relationship with Richards following an altercation several days prior. In the days that followed, Richards repeatedly contacted her through phone calls and text messages, including from alternate phone numbers after being blocked and threatened to show up at her home uninvited.
On the evening of June 26, 2025, the victim arrived home with her three minor children and found Richards waiting outside. Despite being told to leave, he continued to attempt to speak with her. Out of concern for her children’s safety, the victim later took them to her mother’s home. When she returned alone to her residence later that night, Richards ambushed her from behind a bush and chased her around her vehicle. He grabbed her wrist, followed her to the front door, restrained her by the waist, and kissed her neck despite her repeated verbal objections. Richards continued to request entry into the home, which the victim denied.
After the victim entered her residence, the Defendant forced his way inside and continued to assault the victim by pushing and grabbing her, tearing her underwear, and making statements indicating an intent to force sexual intercourse. He ultimately physically restrained her on the couch. Once he had the victim pinned to the couch, Richards placed his hands around her neck multiple times, impeding her ability to breathe, and attempted to gouge out her left eye with his thumb. Throughout the assault, he made repeated threats to kill her. The victim fought back during the assault, causing a laceration to Richards with keys she had in her hand. An associate of Richards arrived at the residence and intervened, urging him to leave before the police arrive. Both men left the scene shortly before law enforcement arrived.
Officers observed physical injuries to the victim that were consistent with strangulation and assault as well as blood inside the residence. There was also damage to the living room consistent with a struggle. Ring doorbell footage corroborated events outside the home and captured Richards making a homicidal threat as he was leaving.
Sentencing has been set for April 2, 2026, at which time the Defendant faces a maximum penalty of a life sentence plus thirty years of incarceration. Following the conviction, State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey made the following comment: “As a former domestic violence prosecutor myself, the prosecution of these cases will always be meaningful to me. No person should ever live in fear of their partner or ex-partner, and a person’s home should be their safe harbor. Violating that safety and security is inexcusable. We will stop at nothing to hold domestic violence offenders, such as this Defendant, accountable, so they are never again free to put another person at risk. I commend Assistant State’s Attorney Logan Hayes for her valiant effort in this case, but also for generally being a constant champion for our domestic violence victims. These cases can be extremely challenging to prosecute, and her efforts have surely resulted in a positive impact on the lives of those she’s touched and the community as a whole.”
State’s Attorney Healey further commends Detective DeFazio, Deputy First Class Szczepanski, and Digital Forensic Examiner Waltimyer of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their efforts in the investigation of this case, which ultimately led to this successful prosecution.