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Former NFL Player Accused of Murder in Arizona: What is Michael Richardson Accused of?
A former Chicago Bears soccer player was arrested Tuesday in connection with the murder of a man from Phoenix, Arizona, according to online prison records and multiple outlets.
Phoenix police arrested Michael Richardson, 59, on Wednesday, Dec. 30, on a charge of murder arising from the death of Ronald Like, 47, the day before, ABC15 reported.
On Tuesday, December 29, police responded to a shooting near the 40th and Van Buren streets at around 9 a.m., the station said. There they found Like, who had been shot, and rushed him to a nearby hospital where he later died, ABC15 said, citing police.
While police are not yet to publicly name Richardson as a suspect, ABC15 cited several “sources” confirming the arrest and the connection. Maricopa County jail records also show that “Michael Richardson” was arrested on Wednesday, Dec. 30 on various charges, including murder, weapons misconduct and a felony warrant.
The former NFL player, who was part of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl-winning team in 1985, has yet to face a judge for his first appearance, prison records show.
According to ABC15, Richardson lives in a gated community in East Mesa.
Here’s What You Need to Know:
Richardson played football for Arizona State University and the Chicago Bears
According to ABC15, sources to the channel have confirmed that the Richardson who was imprisoned on December 30 is the same man who was “an All-Pro cornerback and Super Bowl champion with the famous Chicago Bears of 1985.”
Born in Southern California, Richardson played college football for ASU and was recognized as an All-American in 1981 and 1982 according to the American Football Database. According to the organization, he played in the NFL for seven seasons during the 1980s. Richardson played for the Chicago Bears from 1983 to 1988, and briefly for the San Francisco 49ers in 1989, AFD said.
Richardson “was part of the 1985 Super Bowl-winning Bears team and appeared in the infamous ‘Super Bowl Shuffle video,'” added ABC15, writing:
On the catchy song, Richardson has a solo in which he sings, ‘I’m LA Mike and I play it well. Don’t slip because I’m not stupid. “
Richardson has an extensive criminal history, according to local media and online court records
Richardson has faced the law several times, according to online court records; his most recent “arrest in connection with the murder is the most serious crime to which Richardson has ever been linked,” said ABC15.
Richardson has already been arrested twice this year by Phoenix police on charges of drug possession, Maricopa County court records show. According to other online records, he was charged with theft and possession of methamphetamine, crack and heroin in 2018.
According to ESPN and The Chicago Tribune, Richardson was convicted of more than 20 crimes in 2008, largely while living in Southern California before returning to Chicago in 2010.
“In 2008, Richardson was sentenced for 13 more years for possession of methamphetamine and crack,” said the Chicago Tribune in 2011. “He was convicted for the 21st time since the end of his football career.” .
ESPN reported in 2010 that the footballer developed a deep dependence on drugs when he was 13 years old.
Richardson spent much of his thirties and forties in and out of rehab and prison – he served two four-year sentences in state prison. It wasn’t until police found 28 grams of cocaine and 10 grams of methamphetamine in his car after A routine traffic stop in September 2006, he faced his most severe jail term. The maximum sentence required 13 years. Deputy District Attorney Eric Scarbrough asked for eight, “the media said.
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