Man Kills Wife, 3 Children Day After His Release From Mental Hospital

A man who had threatened to kill himself in front of his estranged wife was released from a state mental hospital anyway, and on Thursday he fatally shot her, his stepdaughter and his two sons, police said.

Richard Law, 23, then killed himself, police said.

Police said he had bought the gun used in the killings an hour earlier.

Odessa police Cpl. Randall Jones said friends of Law called police Sunday because he was threatening suicide, saying he was depressed over his wife’s decision to leave him.

Law had cut himself on the neck with a knife and vowed to buy a gun and kill himself in front of his wife, according to police reports.

Law was taken into protective custody and brought to Big Spring State Hospital, Jones said. He was admitted on an emergency warrant from Ector County, letting the institution keep him for observation for 24 hours, hospital Supt. Bob Von Rosenburg said.

On Monday, State District Judge Ben Lockhart let the hospital keep Law pending a probable cause hearing Wednesday.

“The staff couldn’t substantiate that the patient was a danger to society during the probable cause hearing,” said Ed Moughon, the hospital’s assistant superintendent. Lockhart then ordered Law released.

On Thursday morning, Law bought a .38-caliber revolver, which was used in the slayings.

Besides Law, the dead were his wife, Theresa Gail Law, 20, a stepchild, Kendra Maxwell, 4, and his two sons, Richard Law Jr., 3, and 2-year-old Robert Law.

“It strikes our staff and me personally that we were unable to predict that this individual would act as he did when he returned home,” Moughon said. “It’s heartbreaking here at the hospital.”

Judge Lockhart said Thursday that Law “seemed real normal. It’s a sad state of affairs.”