Appearing at the federal courthouse in Beaumont accompanied by a U.S. Marshal on July 18, Putnam Darwin Richardson, 79, of Orange, stood before Judge Zack Hawthorn for his initial appearance following allegations of kidnapping local attorney Mel Shelander three days prior. According to the Shelander family, Mel was recovered safely and resting at home the evening of July 17. According to a motion filed by the state, the crime included a gun or weapon, and Richardson is being remanded for several reasons including being considered a flight risk.
During the July 18 hearing, Richardson, claiming indigence, informed the court that he and his wife, Bonnie, were on the verge of losing their home, which is valued at $332,305, according to the Orange County Appraisal District. Richardson stated that he was unemployed and requested a court-appointed attorney.
“We owe $228,000, and the only vehicle I own was confiscated and doesn’t run,” Richardson told the judge. He further indicated that his monthly living expenses amount to approximately $9,000.
Hawthorn accepted the pauper’s plea and assigned court-appointed attorney Tom Berg, of Houston, to represent Richardson; the defendant’s new preliminary/detention hearing was rescheduled to July 23 at the request of counsel. Richardson was remanded to custody in the Jefferson County Jail until then.
Back in court July 23, testimony of local FBI Special Investigator Ryan Long revealed several details of the harrowing event.
According to Long, Richardson allegedly approached Shelander wearing a “Halloween-style mask” in the parking lot of the attorney’s downtown Beaumont law office Monday morning, July 15, demanding that his victim get into the passenger side of his own vehicle with his face down. Long also stated that the FBI became aware of the situation when the family of the victim came in for an interview and Mrs. Shelander reported receiving six phone calls from the suspect on Shelander’s cell phone demanding a $1 million ransom within 48 hours, stating that if the demand was not met, the victim would be killed.
According to Long, following an open records search, investigators surveilling Richardson’s Orange home July 17 witnessed him leaving with the victim in the passenger seat of his car, Shelander’s eyes covered in gauze and bandages. Richardson then drove to a nearby gas station and exited the vehicle, allowing officers an opportunity to safely retrieve the victim and take Richardson into custody.
According to Long, the victim described being held in a shed on Richardson’s property, chained by his hands and feet to the floor.
The victim and his family indicated to officers that, based on the fluctuation of the voice in the calls, they believe there may have been more than one person making the threatening calls to them, but Long stated no other evidence of a second perpetrator exists.
Richardson’s attorney argued that his client is 79 years old and didn’t actually injure the alleged victim, therefore he did not feel he was a threat to the community and should be released on house arrest.
Hawthorn determined that, based on Richardson’s alleged actions and a previous kidnapping conviction, along with the potential to face life in prison, the alleged kidnapper poses a flight risk, as well as a threat to the community, and should remain in custody. Hawthorn added that, in addition to his ruling, the parole office intended to place a parole hold or warrant on Richardson for violation of his parole that would require him to remain in custody.
Richardson, born on June 27, 1943, has had a life marked by crime, beginning as a teenager. In June 1966, he was charged and convicted of burglary, resulting in a two-year confinement. By the age of 40, Richardson’s criminal activities escalated. In August 1983, after being arrested by the Beaumont Police Department for misdemeanor theft at Joske’s Department Store, Richardson sought revenge on the store’s investigator. He kidnapped her and another individual to coerce her into changing her testimony. This led to his arrest and subsequent charges for two counts of aggravated kidnapping in January 1984.
According to a failed appeal in Richardson v. State of Texas, Kathleen Ann Bosca was the Joske’s investigator at the time. She was a single mother living with her two children in a mobile home park. One night, when her lights suddenly went out, she contacted the park manager for assistance. Upon inspection, the manager discovered that the switch had been pulled, causing the outage. After fixing the lights, while standing outside talking to Bosca, Richardson approached them claiming to be with maintenance and there to check on the lights. Armed with a gun, he ordered the manager inside the home and handcuffed him. Richardson then confronted Bosca, accusing her of wrongful actions in arresting him for shoplifting. He forced her to sign two typewritten letters he had prepared, addressed to his attorney and the judge, in which she had to falsely state she had lied under oath regarding Richardson and his wife.
Richardson subsequently forced Bosca and the park manager into his truck and drove to his business, Car Care Clinic. There, he forced the manager to handcuff himself to a car lift before returning to Bosca’s home. Richardson admitted under oath that he went to Bosca’s trailer with the intent to discuss her testimony, armed and wearing surgical gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints should anything happen that could lead to further criminal charges against him.
Richardson, convicted of two aggravated kidnapping charges that were upheld on appeal, was given a 50-year prison sentence. Richardson was granted mandatory release in 2001, with his sentence set to expire on Jan. 18, 2034; until then, Richardson was to be supervised on parole. Despite being on parole, he continued his criminal behavior. In July 2005, Richardson was charged with theft of property valued between $50 and $500, to which he pled no contest to a lesser charge in Jefferson County and was subsequently released on his own recognizance.
In October 2014, Richardson was arrested by the West Orange Police Department for criminal trespassing and theft of property valuing less than $1,500, which was enhanced to a state jail felony due to his prior convictions. He pleaded to a lesser misdemeanor charge, was convicted in May 2015 and sentenced to 180 days in the Orange County Jail.
According to the Shelander family, immediately following the incident, they faced an unfortunate situation with social media scammers attempting to fraudulently benefit from their family’s misfortune.
“We are also aware that some bad actors may have seized upon this incident in an attempt to scam members of our community via false social media posts. Please be assured that Mel is home safe, Cathy’s father is not moving to a care facility, and we are not requesting any sort of financial assistance,” the Shelanders shared in their statement to the media.
The Shelander family issued the following public statement following Richardson’s court appearance on July 18:
“The entire Shelander family shares a heartfelt thanks to the FBI Beaumont Resident Agency and agents that traveled in from Houston and other areas, the Beaumont Police Department, the Orange Police Department, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for their tireless efforts in rescuing Mel … Their quick response, dedication and investigative expertise brought Mel home safely. We cannot thank them enough for the professionalism and compassion they displayed over the past few days.
“If our family has learned one thing from this ordeal, it is to ask for help from law enforcement as soon as possible – there is no doubt in our minds that the FBI’s quick response, alongside their local police partners, saved Mel’s life.”
“Due to the ongoing nature of the federal prosecution, we are unable to provide any further details or comments at this time,” the Shelanders further stated. “We also kindly ask for privacy as our family recovers from this difficult incident. We deeply appreciate all the support we received from family, friends and our entire community.”