Sister of woman killed in Fern Creek over the weekend speaks of her relation to killer
The sister of a woman found dead over the weekend describes how she is coping after being the one who discovered her sister's body.
Rebecca Richardson was found dead in her Fern Creek home on Saturday.
Her sister Jessica Beard said the home the two shared together holds so many beautiful memories, which is why her reality now is so surreal.
"There's points in time where I'm still waiting for her to text me back and I keep waiting for her to walk through the door," Beard said. "It was at a certain point that something felt off, something felt wrong and that's when I went in and checked on her. That's definitely something that's going to haunt me for a while."
Officials said Monday that police were called to the 8400 block of Ferndale Road on the evening of Aug. 6 for reports of a body.
When they arrived, they confirmed Richardson was dead, and the homicide unit opened an investigation.
Beard said officers initially thought she had hit her head, but an autopsy revealed she had been shot.
"It's completely unbelievable but it reminds me that I need to tell people that I love them.," Beard said. "That even if it's a text. The last thing I need to say is I love you because you never know."
Beard said while she is still in shock over her sister's death, learning who police believe killed her is also hard to wrap her head around.
According to the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Nelson County Sheriff's Office responded to a suicide investigation of Christopher Dawes from Bardstown, Kentucky. While the Nelson County Sheriff's Office was investigating, they found evidence in Dawes's possession that appeared to have been used in the killing of Richardson.
LMPD said that through sharing information between departments and having retrieved evidence tested, it was determined the evidence found matched that of evidence located at the initial crime.
Beard said Dawes and Richardson were together for four years and had recently broken up.
"We had no idea that it would end like this," Beard said. "You never expect it. It's not something you expect to happen. It's a complete and total surprise and tragic. They [Dawes' family] are also going through a terrible loss too on both sides and for me, I'm very sympathetic and empathetic and I understand and I think about that side of it so the fact that this is how it worked out, it does save us from having to go into the court system and all that and it gives us that closure. I think that's the biggest focus. It gives us that closure."
Beard said she is holding on to the best memories of her sister even if they are in the same home where she took her last breath.
"I have been able to go into the room afterward and it's hard, it really is hard but you know I sit there and think about all the laughter we've had in there and it feels like that's what echoes around the room," Beard said.
Beard said Richardson leaves behind a five-year-old son.
The family has started a GoFundMe to raise money to lay Richardson to rest after the unexpected loss.