Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, experienced its first homicide in more than 20 years on Sunday (July 13) when police found 36-year-old Richard King shot dead on East Marble Street. Officers responded to the scene at 2:26 p.m. and discovered King lying face down in the front yard. The suspect, Richard King Jr., 35, was found sitting nearby and taken into custody.
According to Chief Robert Glenny of the Mechanicsburg Borough Police Department, the victim and the suspect were acquainted, and the victim had been invited to the residence. The incident began inside the home, where King Jr. claimed he was attacked by the victim before shooting him with a handgun. A blood trail led from the living room to the yard, where the victim was found. A handgun was also recovered in one of the bedrooms.
King Jr. has been charged with criminal homicide and is currently held at the Cumberland County Prison. The Cumberland County District Attorney, Sean McCormack, has referred the case to the Attorney General's office due to a conflict of interest, as King Jr. works for the county court, though he has never worked with the DA's office.
The investigation is ongoing, and the Mechanicsburg Borough Police Department continues to gather details about the case. As always, it is important to remember that an arrest is not a finding of guilt, and King Jr. is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.