After deliberating for 40 minutes, a Pender County jury on May 5 convicted a man for the killing of his stepfather and sentenced to life in prison.
Michael Thomas Richwas convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of his stepfather, Paul Busovne, on Nov. 13, 2021, according to a news release from the district attorney's office. In addition, he was also convicted of attempted murder and three felony assaults for assaulting and attempting to kill his mother, the district attorney’s office said.
Rich was also sentenced by Judge Tiffany Powers to 14-18 years in prison on attempted murder to run concurrent with the life sentence. The judge arrested judgment on the felony assaults, the news release said.
According to the news release, Rich, who had a history of substance abuse and mental health issues, was living in a farmhouse on his parents’ property on Shiloh Road in Willard. When they approached Rich to talk to him about taking his medication and living there, Rich grabbed a knife and stabbed Busovne 19 times, killing him. He then chased his mother and attacked her by pushing her and jumping on her, breaking her ribs and clavicle.
Advertisement
Prior coverage:Man with stab wounds killed, second victim assaulted
“Rich was taken to the hospital for cuts on his own hand and then was interviewed by detectives with the Pender County Sheriff’s Office,” the news release said. “He stated to them that it was self-defense and stated that his parents had shot him and left him for dead in the past and they were trying to poison him, none of which was true. After he was interviewed and arrested for murder and attempted murder, he requested to return to the hospital for back pain. Once he was cleared at the hospital, he ran from officers and was quickly caught before getting outside the hospital.”
At the trial, Rich claimed self-defense, diminished capacity, and took the position that he was not guilty by reason of insanity, the news release said.
Bob Liepa is the city of Wilmington and public safety reporter for the StarNews. You can reach him atRLiepa@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews:Pender County, NC, man convicted of killing stepfather