Carrie Lynn Szaksz, a 35-year-old female, died on Saturday, July 2, 2022, in a tragic event that also took the life of her mother, Diane Pulley Crowder, who was 53. The incident unfolded in a home on Phillips Woods Drive in Henrico County, a suburb of Richmond, Virginia. Authorities responded to reports of a shooting at the residence that morning. Upon their arrival, officers heard gunfire coming from within the house.
The situation quickly evolved into a barricade situation that lasted for nine hours. During this time, two adult males were able to flee from the home to safety and speak with police about what had occurred inside. After the extended standoff, a male suspect, identified as Richard Colon Crowder, aged 60, surrendered to law enforcement. Crowder, a former Henrico County Police officer who had retired in 2014, was taken into custody after exiting the residence while on the phone with police.
Upon entering the home, law enforcement officials discovered the bodies of Carrie Lynn Szaksz and Diane Pulley Crowder. Richard Crowder was subsequently arrested and faced multiple charges, including two counts of second-degree murder, three counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, and one count of malicious shooting. He was held without bond at the Henrico County Jail. Family members later revealed that Carrie and her mother had been trying to escape an abusive situation.
