Testimony Begins for Poway Businessman Accused of Killing Wife

A man accused of killing his wife and mother-in-law and making it look like they died in a car wreck appeared dirty and was acting "weird'' when he picked up his daughter from a birthday party in Chula Vista three days before the bodies were discovered near Lakeside, a witness testified Wednesday.

Antonio Mendivil's testimony came at a preliminary hearing for Michael Eugene Richardson, who is charged in the deaths of 39-year-old Thao Richardson and her mother, 72-year-old Phan Lai. Their decomposing bodies were found off state Route 67 last June 29.

The 57-year-old defendant, the owner of a Poway mechanic shop, faces a third murder charge in connection with the 1992 disappearance of his then-girlfriend, 38-year-old Jovita Collazo of National City. Her body has never been found.

Richardson is also charged with carrying on a sexual relationship with his 17-year-old niece.

Mendivil testified that Richardson looked "normal'' when he dropped off his daughter at a birthday party on June 26. When the defendant returned hours later to pick up his child, he looked "dirty'' and liked he'd been "run over,'' the witness testified.

Richardson told Mendivil that he was going through a separation and that his wife was trying to take his daughter away from him, the witness said. Mendivil said he decided to call Chula Vista police and told detectives that Richardson was "acting very nervous and very weird'' when he was at his home on June 26.

At Richardson's initial arraignment last July, prosecutor Chantal de Mauregne told a judge that the defendant escaped from a North Carolina prison in 1982—where he served time for robbery—and remained on the lam for 18 years.

He was initially charged only with molesting his niece. He was subsequently charged with the murders of his wife and mother-in-law and months later with the 1992 killing.

El Cajon Judge Herbert Exarhos is expected to decide Thursday if enough evidence was presented to proceed with the murder and sexual assault charges, which could result in the death penalty or life in prison without parole if Richardson is convicted.

City News Service contributed to this report.