CLAY COUNTY, Mo. – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday an inmate who tried to take his own life on Sunday has died from his injuries.
Inmate Derek Richardson died Thursday afternoon, the sheriff’s office said.
Per protocol, the sheriff’s office will not complete their investigation until after a report from the Jackson County Medical Examiner.
Richardson was charged with the murder of two women working as prostitutes and police said he confessed to the crimes and described in detail their deaths.
Police believe he would have struck again. They say two tips led them to Richardson, after their plea to the public in early February.
Police said Richardson met Tamara Sparks, 40, in October of 2011. They say Sparks was working the streets and Richardson picked her up and took her back to his duplex off of northeast Winn.
Richardson told detectives that’s where Sparks began to perform sexual acts and then he strangled her. He dumped her body off the side of the road in Clay County, pouring bleach onto her body.
In August of 2012, police found the body of Nicoleone Reed, 23, also dumped in Clay County. They discovered that bleach was poured over her body as well.
Law enforcement officials connected the two crimes and say one tipster told them Richardson told the informant about the killings.
Police also say one crucial piece of evidence stood out: a size 11 Croc canvas loafer which was left at the Sparks crime scene.
Another tipster told police that the shoe belonged to Richardson. Police say the tipster’s DNA was on the shoe.
