In the summer of 2017, a tragedy unfolded in Lacey, Washington, forever altering the lives of a family. Rachel Gardin Gonzalez, a 31-year-old female, became a victim of a brutal crime on July 31, 2017. Her life was cut short by her estranged husband, Ricardo Gardin-Gonzalez, in a devastating act of domestic violence that also claimed the life of her mother.
The horrifying events of that day began to unfold at their home on Crimson Court.
Ricardo Gardin-Gonzalez first shot and killed his 51-year-old mother-in-law, Kimberly Redford, who was visiting from Missouri to help her daughter. When Rachel returned home, she was subjected to a brutal four-hour beating before she was also fatally shot. The violence that day was not limited to the two women; Ricardo also sexually assaulted his 11-year-old stepdaughter.
Following the murders and assault, Ricardo Gardin-Gonzalez fled the scene with his stepdaughter and 3-year-old son, leading police on a high-speed chase through Lacey and Olympia. During the pursuit, he fired at the pursuing officers. The chase ended near the Olympia Auto Mall, where, before he could be apprehended, he turned the gun on himself, sustaining a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was subsequently hospitalized for his injuries.
Ricardo Gardin-Gonzalez was arrested and faced a multitude of charges, including two counts of aggravated first-degree murder. Initially, prosecutors considered seeking the death penalty, but ultimately decided against it to spare the children further trauma. In July 2018, Ricardo Gardin-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to the extensive list of charges against him. For the murders of his wife and mother-in-law, and the other crimes committed on that fateful day, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
