On the morning of New Year’s Eve 2025, a family disturbance call brought Concord police to a Walnut Avenue home where officers found 85-year-old Joyce J. Richardson and her 90-year-old husband, William Richardson, dead of apparent gunshot wounds. Responding to a call from Joyce around 7 a.m., officers arrived to the sound of gunfire and located the couple deceased inside the house.

A third person, the couple’s 61-year-old son, Kirk Richardson, was at the scene and taken into custody in connection with the killings. Court records show the parents had sought a restraining order against their son for domestic violence as far back as 1989, and neighbors described prior unsettling encounters; one neighbor had also sought a restraining order after alleged violent threats. After his arrest, Kirk reportedly confessed and said he had contemplated killing his parents for decades. He was charged by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office with two counts of murder with firearm enhancements.

If anyone knew Joyce or William, or has information about the family’s history or that morning, please share what you know.