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Ronald Eugene Richards: Florida man arrested for rape and murder of nurse Evelyn Marie Fisher-Bamforth in 1980

'You never have closure, as you can tell. But certainly justice for Evelyn is the most important thing,' said Evelyn's husband

BY ROHIT UPADHYAY

PUBLISHED DEC 6, 2022

Ronald Eugene Richards is already serving 50 years imprisonment in another rape and murder case (Miramar Police Department)

MIRAMAR, FLORIDA: Ronald Eugene Richards, a Florida man has been arrested for rape and murder he committed four decades ago after the suspect was let go due to lack of evidence. Evelyn Marie Fisher-Bamforth was relaxing at her home in Miramar, Florida, when the accused forcefully broke in on January 22, 1980. He has been charged with sexual battery and murder, with the help of advancements in DNA technology, police say. The authorities suspected that a neighbor had killed Fisher-Bamforth, but didn’t have concrete evidence to book anyone. The victim lived with her husband and worked as a licensed psychiatric nurse.

"Due to advancements in DNA technology and the diligence and hard work of Detective Johnathan Zeller, Ronald Eugene Richards has been indicted for sexual battery and murder," Tania Rues, spokesperson for Miramar PD, told WSVN-TV. "We are one step closer to obtain justice for Evelyn." The 75-year-old accused is presently in Ohio prison, for an unrelated rape and attempted murder, and will now have to defend himself against killing Fisher-Bamforth. As of now, he is yet to enter a plea, and it is unclear whether he already has an attorney authorized to represent him, reports People.

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“An arrest warrant for rape and attempted murder, and it was the same MO as our case as well, and that’s how he became a person of interest,” said Miramar Police Detective Johnathan Zeller. Richards was extradited to Broward County, Florida, to officially face the new charges. He lived 12 homes away from Fisher-Bamforth at the time of the murder, and most likely didn’t know each other, as per authorities. The news of his arrest has been relieving for Evelyn’s husband, who waited for almost 43 years for justice. In an interview with WSVN, John Bamforth shared that he arrived home after work on the night of the murder, to find police tape on his front door."

And that's when I saw what I saw — which was furniture disturbed, cushions disturbed, and then I walked back to the bedroom, half bed at least was soaked with blood," shared Bamforth. He added, "You never have closure, as you can tell. But certainly justice for Evelyn is the most important thing."