Overview

• Prosecutors filed charges including criminal threats and multiple possession counts such as large-capacity magazines, brass knuckles and a concealed dagger, saying a conviction could bring more than five years in prison.
• Officials say Richardson referred to himself as the “Angel of Death” and the “rider of the pale horse” in emails to St. Michael’s Abbey that referenced end-times language and the abbey’s late-September feast day.
• Deputies arrested him in Santa Monica after a priest called 911, and a vehicle search found body armor, six high‑capacity magazines, a sword, several knives, a stun gun, duct tape, rope, walkie‑talkies and other tactical gear; investigators reported no firearms recovered.
• Authorities believe he drove from Alabama to Southern California, visited the abbey in person, and also stopped at another St. Michael’s location in Los Angeles.
• The Sheriff’s Department increased patrols near the monastery as the Diocese boosted private security, and investigators urged the public to provide tips as the case remains active.