Grisly murder detailed

Tony Richards called the San Mateo Police Department business line at 4:55 p.m. Thursday and stated officers would find a triple homicide and suicide at 1617 Maxine Ave. in the North Shoreview neighborhood. Police responded moments later and found a typed note on the front door directing officers to the backyard. The letter also asked officers to be careful of an indoor house cat and a dog that were locked in a room.

In the backyard, police made the gruesome discovery. Tony Richards used a shotgun to shoot himself in the head moments before police arrived. The letter also revealed the bodies of his family members were stuffed in a large freezer chest on the left side of the home's exterior, said San Mateo police Capt. Kevin Raffaelli.

In the large freezer, police found Nicole, Alexa and Tessa. The bodies were intact and cold to the touch. Police cannot determine exactly how long the bodies were in the freezer, Raffaelli said.

Nicole was killed with a baseball bat to the head. Both girls do not appear to have any significant signs of trauma and may have been suffocated.

Autopsies on the girls will be completed Saturday morning. Autopsies on Nicole and Tony were performed Friday morning, said San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault.

The letter detailed the times of each murder and revealed that significant time elapsed between the murder of the wife and the oldest daughter and that of Tessa, the youngest daughter. Police believe the murders occurred inside the house, but there was no obvious evidence to prove that. In fact, Tony cleaned the entire house before killing himself.

The last time Alexa spoke to her friends was Tuesday evening, the night before the first day of school. Alexa was on Wave, a leadership group at her school, and was required to show up on Wednesday - two days before the official start of the school year. She never showed.

Tessa reportedly was at a friends house and returned home Wednesday. Sometime during the week, Tony also purchased a ticket for Wednesday's state lottery.

A shocked community

The shocking murder is creating a gaping hole in a community touched by the Richards family. The family was active at St. Timothy's Catholic Church and the San Mateo Police Activities League. Tessa was a judo champion with PAL and played basketball at Bayside Middle School. Alexa spent the summer as a lifeguard for the San Mateo Parks and Recreation Department at Joinville Pool and was an active student at Notre Dame High School in Belmont.

Tony earned an Master of Business Administration, but spent recent years running his own meat delivery business called the Great American Meat and Seafood Company.

He was "Mr. Mom" and cooked, cleaned, did laundry and even helped Tessa do her hair sometimes, said friend Evelyn Calderon.

The couple met and fell in love in the south of France and have some family in Southern California, Calderon said.

Despite his confession of financial problems, the family took a trip this summer to Hawaii and were talking about buying a new car for their oldest daughter.

Nicole Richards was employed at Siebel Systems in San Mateo since 1999. The company released a brief statement today regarding the loss of Nicole Richards.

"We are saddened to hear of the death of Nicole Richards and her immediate family. As a senior executive assistant in Siebel's Sales Organization, Nicole was a highly valued employee who was passionate about the company and her family. We will miss Nicole deeply and extend our most heartfelt condolences to her extended family," company spokesman Steve Diamond said in the statement.

Former co-workers describe Nicole as a warm and friendly person who always talked about her daughters.

Nicole played an active role in her daughter's PAL activities, often baking cookies for the kids, said San Mateo Police Chief Susan Manheimer at a press conference yesterday.

A 'horrific' case

Police officers are taking the case to heart, both for its tragic outcome and the ties the girls had to the department. The family's living room was decorated with athletic trophies, many of them from PAL tournaments. One responding officer used to take Tessa on PAL-sponsored fishing trips, Manheimer said.

"These events are very tragic and have had a profound impact on everyone, even our most seasoned investigators, who are now charged with figuring out what lead up to this event," Manheimer said.

Police underwent a debriefing Friday and are being offered counseling.

"This is by far one of the worst, horrific cases I've worked on," said 22-year department veteran Capt. Mike Callagy. "It takes on a new type of terror for the officers when it involves children."

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Aug. 27 at St. Timothy's Church where the family attended mass regularly and Alexa went to elementary school.

As a senior at Notre Dame, Alexa was in charge of organizing masses with her friend Stephanie Rodela. On Friday morning, the all-girl school held a mass in honor of Alexa.

It is unknown what the school is doing to help students cope with the news. School officials did not return calls Friday.

"[Alexa] loved life and cared a lot for her friends and family. She loved everyone in her life," said Alexa's best friend Teri Palmer.

Palmer was among the dozens of friends who made a pilgrimage to the Richardses doorstep Friday. By noon, the door step was covered with flowers, candles, crosses and notes from friends. Someone arranged garden stones in the shape of a heart around a chalked "R.I.P."

Friends stood in disbelief recounting memories of a young, bright girl on the verge of college.

"On Tuesday we were talking about how we were going to be roommates together in Southern California," said Rodela. Both planned on applying to colleges there.

Coming of age

With a grade point average hovering around 3.8 and extracurricular activities that included the junior varsity swim team and the French, leadership and admissions clubs, Alexa could go to almost any college she chose, friends said.

In their final Tuesday conversation, Rodela recalls Alexa's excitement after her parents took her to see a Mercedes they wanted to buy her. No one heard from her after that.

Her sister, Tessa was a star basketball player at Bayside Middle School and a top medal winner for the San Mateo Police Activities League. She led the team to a U.S. national championships last summer in Hawaii. It was her second straight year on top of the game.

Tessa Richards was a champion in the 64-kilo division for two years in a row. Last year, she won the gold medal match in 10 seconds.

Both were at times close and very loyal to each other and at other times competitive and at odds, as sisters often are. On her Web site at MySpace.com, Alexa's outgoing personality shined. The site, decorated with pink and purple boasts a list of friends well over 300. Many of them left memories and farewells to a girl who they describe as outgoing, bubbly and full of life.

The last time Alexa signed onto her account was Tuesday evening.

Tessa's site boasts blue and black colors, with quieter comments and fewer friends. Those close to Tessa describe a tomboy who was just coming of age. She recently had her ears pierced and began wearing make-up. She'll never have the opportunity to attend the high school dances her sister frequented, friends said.

The memorial at the Richardses front door continues to grow, but does little to quell the pain the girls' friends feel.

"When I look at her picture I still think she's here," said Alexa's friend Leanne Wesson. "At least she's in my dreams."

Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: dana@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com