Fugitive accused of killing wife, mother-in-law in Calif., putting bodies through staged crash

Fugitive charged with killing wife and her mother

EL CAJON, Calif. — California authorities say an escaped convict accused of molesting his niece has been charged with killing his wife and mother-in-law and putting their bodies through a staged car crash.

Prosecutors say 57-year-old Michael Eugene Richardson could face the death penalty if convicted in the slayings.

He pleaded not guilty Thursday to murder charges, about two months after the women’s bodies were found in a car that crashed down an embankment near Lakeside. Prosecutors say Richardson killed them before the accident.

He pleaded not guilty last month to molesting his 17-year-old niece.

Prosecutors say Richardson has been a fugitive since 1982 when he escaped from a North Carolina prison where he served time for robbery.