A North Carolina man was charged Sunday with the murder of his ex-girlfriend’s mother after being released on bail for the attempted murder of her father, Fox News reported.
Michael Steven Ricker, 36, was arrested in connection to the death of Lesa Armstrong Rose, 63, after being released on a $25,000 bond for previous charges of attempted first-degree murder of the victim’s husband, according to Fox News.
The victim’s 17-year-old granddaughter, who reportedly viewed Ricker as a father figure during his relationship with her mother, discovered the body Saturday, according to the outlet. Rose’s injuries were “not consistent with a natural death,” which prompted an investigation, per the outlet.
Police arrested Ricker in a shed on the same property Sunday, according to WSOC-TV.
Man who attempted to murder ex-girlfriend’s father bonds out of jail, kills her mother: police https://t.co/89V5tnqWTb
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 29, 2023
“I’m very angry at the justice system, especially since they were out there sooner that day [that her mother was killed] and [police] didn’t do a whole lot to help,” Amber Rose, the victim’s daughter and Ricker’s ex-girlfriend, told Fox News. (RELATED: LA Authorities Released Robbery Suspect Just One Day Before She Allegedly Committed Another Heist)
“I think we have a failed justice system — they worry more about the wrong things,” she added. “There’s people in jail for getting caught with meth that have a million dollar bond. But a bond on attempted murder being that low just … makes you question … what goes through their head when they set the bonds, how they feel at night knowing someone’s life could be on the line because they didn’t do what they needed to do.”
The victim’s daughter said she had known Ricker since third grade and that her parents loved him, Fox News reported.
Scheduled for a Nov. 9 court appearance, Ricker remains in custody as the victim’s family seeks justice and closure, per the outlet.