A mentally ill Twain Harte man accused of killing his sister testified in court Wednesday that he purposely poured gasoline on her and lit it on fire.
50-year-old Steven Richards faces charges of murder, arson and animal cruelty. Richards also allegedly burned down his parents home and killed the family´s rottweiller.
Richards openly confessed to the murder in a taped interview seen by the jury last week. Richards also testified that he got the idea of lighting his sister on fire from a Jean Claude Van Damme movie.
A psychiatrist for the defense has said Richards suffered from paranoid schitzophrenia, as well as auditory and visual hallucinations and delusions. If found guilty of the accusations, Richard could face 27 years to life in prison.
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 2:24 pm