“Walking Dead” Actress Shannon Guess Richardson Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Mailing Ricin Laced Letter to President Obama

Actress Shannon Guess Richardson was sentenced to 18 years in prison today by Federal District Judge Michael Schneider for mailing ricin laced letters to President Barack Obama, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Mark Glaze (formerly the director of the group Mayors Against Illegal Guns).

The Huffington Post tells us that according to Shannon Guess Richardson’s confession, on the morning of May 20, 2013, she waited for her husband, Nathan Richardson, to go to work and then proceeded to mail three ricin laced letters from a location in New Boston, TX. Richardson then went to local police and claimed that her husband, Nathan Richardson, had mailed the letters in an apparent act of revenge after learning that Nathan Richardson had filed for divorce. The Huffington Post goes on to tell us that police became suspicious of Shannon Guess Richardson’s story when they became aware of several inconsistencies in her statements. Police later learned that Shannon Guess Richardson obtained castor beans online which are used in the production of ricin. The Examiner tells us that ricin is a biological toxin that can cause respiratory system failure if inhaled. Mrs. Richardson also obtained a post office box address and a PayPal account in her estranged husband’s name without his knowledge or consent. After this information came to light, police arrested Shannon Guess Richardson last June.

The Huffington Post tells us that the text of Richardson’s letter to President Obama read, “What’s in this letter is nothing compared to what ive got in store for you mr president. You will have to kill me and my family before you get my guns. Anyone wants to come to my house will get shot in the face.”

The Examiner tells us that Shannon Guess Richardson confessed to her actions as part of a plea deal that stipulates she will not spend longer than 18 years in prison. The plea deal also requires that Richardson pay $367,000 in restitution.

The Examiner goes on to inform us that Shannon Guess Richardson is a former actress with minor roles in “The Walking Dead,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Franklin and Bash,” and the film “The Blind Side.” The Inquisitr elaborates further on Guess’s zombie role on “The Walking Dead.” Richardson is also the mother of six children, one of which was born while she was in police custody.

In her final act, Shannon Guess Richardson took an opportunity in court today to apologize for her actions. The Examiner tells us that she stated, “I never intended for anybody to be hurt. I’m not a bad person. I don’t have it in me to hurt anyone.” The judge wasn’t moved by Richardson’s apology, to which he replied that Shannon Guess Richardson placed, “… many lives in danger and threatened public officials at the highest level of government. The defendant claims that she did not intend to harm anyone, but certainly her actions could have had grave consequences.”