Dallas

Jury Finds Man Accused of Shooting Stepson Guilty

It took a Dallas County jury less than 30 minutes Thursday to convict a man in the shooting of his stepson in 2013. The jury found Richard Richard guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The punishment phase continues when court resumes Friday morning. Richard faces up from five years probation to life in prison.

In court Thursday, Richard's former stepson, Corey Dooley, testified about of the moments before, during and after he was shot. He said the family was still in the car in the garage after returning from his brother Cody's football game. As the garage door closed, something caused it to jerk back up again.

"I remember my brother, he gasped," Dooley said. "I looked to my right and I seen Richard. He had run through the garage."

Corey Dooley said Richard had a gun, and was yelling, cursing while telling them to get out of the car.

"When the first bullet hit me, it felt really hot. It was an indescribable pain," he said. "I felt like my life was literally being taken with every bullet that came into my body."

Dooley said he turned to protect his mother, who was in the driver's seat, as she tried to protect him.

"I couldn't understand. I didn't know why it was happening," he testified. "I just wanted it to be over. I didn't know why we were in that situation with a man I considered my father for five years, taught me how to play football, who pushed me in school – whether it was a good or bad day, I still considered him my father. I couldn't understand why someone would want to do that."

Prior to Corey Dooley's testimony, the prosecution called the lead detective in the case and showed a lengthy video of police questioning Richard after the crime.

In the video, Richard is seen telling investigators of his distress over his wife's decision to end the marriage, and her contact with Corey Dooley's biological father. His father is a photojournalist with NBC 5.

Richard did not testify in his own defense. The defense rested without calling anyone to testify.

However, before testimony began for the day, defense attorneys asked the judge for a mistrial after telling the court they did not receive video evidence from the prosecution in a timely manner, stating one of the defense attorneys had only been able to watch the police interview with Richard the night before. The motion was denied, as was a continuance in the case.

Wednesday Testimony

Prosecutors alleged Richard entered a garage after his estranged wife and her two sons returned home from a high school football game on Oct. 16, 2013.

Nicole Rishard testified in court Wednesday that they were still in the car when Richard entered the garage through the door as it closed.

"I heard Cody (Dooley) in the back seat gasp, and I turned to ask what was wrong, when I turned I saw Richard standing in the garage with the gun extended toward the car," Rishard said.

She went on to tell the court, "I was thinking, 'Oh, my God. This is how I'm going to die.'"

Rishard testified that Richard told the family to get out of the car, and moments later opened fire at the front passenger side where Corey Dooley was sitting. He was 15 years old at the time.
"After he shot Corey four times he came around to the front of the car and pointed the gun at me,

then he came around to the driver's side of the car and pointed the gun to my head," Rishard said.

Rishard detailed how she was able to back out of the garage and drive to safety, but not before being shot in the arm.

Her son, Cody Dooley, who was in the back seat at the time, also took the stand Wednesday. He was not hurt, but recounted his brother's condition as they waited for police and paramedics at a nearby drugstore parking lot.

He said his brother wasn't really conscious.

"He was just saying he had been shot, he could feel it and he was dying," Cody Dooley said.

The defense called into question parts of Cody's testimony, calling attention to a discrepancy in the statement he gave police immediately following and what he said on the stand regarding whether shots were fired at both sides of the vehicle. They argued his written statement to police indicated shots were only fired from Corey's side, but Cody testified shots were fired from his mother's side of the car as well.

In addition to testimony from Rishard and Cody Dooley, the court heard from a surgeon who helped save Corey's life. He testified about the amount of blood he lost and the lengths they went through to stop the bleeding.

The doctor told the jurors and judge there was an over a 90-percent chance of death in Corey's case. He survived.

Also examined Wednesday in court was Rishard's relationship with Richard. She told the court her final decision to leave him was made after Richard disagreed with her decision to pursue allowing Corey Dooley to know who his biological father is. After five years of marriage, she and her sons moved in with her mother in DeSoto. She then filed for divorce.

Upon cross examination of Rishard, defense attorneys questioned Richard's relationship with Rishard's sons.

She told them, during their marriage, he was involved in the boys' lives and often went to their football games.

In addition to testimony from Rishard, Cody Dooley and a doctor, the court also heard from law enforcement investigators and a neighbor.

Contact Us