At sentencing, mother berates man who helped hide her son’s body
NORWICH – A Sherburne man who helped hide the body of a slain home invader in an attempted drug robbery pleaded guilty in court Monday.
Nicholas S. Simonds, 22, of Pleasant Valley Road, Sherburne, pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence (E felony). Simonds admitted that he helped his neighbor and close friend Robert R. Reynolds move the body of Joshua D. Richheimer, 32, in July.
Simonds, who has been out of jail, was sentenced to six months in the local jail beginning Jan. 2.
Following a lenghty police investigation, it was established that Richheimer was killed by Reynolds in self-defense. Reynolds, who was the target of the invasion because he was a local marijuana dealer and served time in prison for a prior criminal drug conviction, decided to hide the body instead of reporting the incident to police. Simonds, who was nearby at the time of the shooting, helped move the body.
Simonds only said that he helped to move the body, not dispose of it. Simonds then said, “I’m sorry for what I did. I apologize to the court, the family and to Ms. Richheimer (the victim’s mother).”
Judge W. Howard Sullivan told Simonds to turn around and face the mother of the victim, Regina Richheimer, while making his apology. The mother also read a letter to the court before Simonds’ sentencing.
“He might have been just somebody to you, but he was my son to me. Because of you, I was unable to see my son one last time because of the state his body was in,” said Richheimer.
The mother said she found it “unacceptable” that Simonds was only getting six months in jail for helping move the body and was angry that the court was not enforcing sentence immediately. “My son won’t be here for Christmas,” she said.
“If it wasn’t for the police, I may have never found my son,” said Richheimer.
“You treated my son’s body worse than you’d treat a dog’s you hit in the road,” said the mother before finishing her letter.
Co-conspirator Reynolds is facing one to two and a half years in state prison in exchange for his guilty plea to second degree criminal possession of marijuana (D felony). He had between three and four pounds of the drug at his home when he was arrested in July.
Reynolds also had to surrender his bank accounts and some property, totaling nearly $30,000. The money will go to the county to be used by local law enforcement agencies in drug prevention programs.
Reynolds has also agreed to testify to the events that took place on the night in question and against any other parties present, in particular Richheimer’s co-conspirator, James F. Bush, 46, of Burdick-Medbury Road, Town of Norwich.
Bush was also arrested for first-degree burglary, attempted robbery and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, by the Chenango County Sheriff Office. Bush allegedly drove Richheimer to Reynolds’ house on his motorcycle and owned the sawed-off shot-gun used in the attempted crime. Police said Bush has a long criminal history, but would not release specifics.
Reynolds will be appearing in court Friday for final sentencing where the mother will again be afforded her right to address the court.
Nicholas S. Simonds, 22, of Pleasant Valley Road, Sherburne, pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence (E felony). Simonds admitted that he helped his neighbor and close friend Robert R. Reynolds move the body of Joshua D. Richheimer, 32, in July.
Simonds, who has been out of jail, was sentenced to six months in the local jail beginning Jan. 2.
Following a lenghty police investigation, it was established that Richheimer was killed by Reynolds in self-defense. Reynolds, who was the target of the invasion because he was a local marijuana dealer and served time in prison for a prior criminal drug conviction, decided to hide the body instead of reporting the incident to police. Simonds, who was nearby at the time of the shooting, helped move the body.
Simonds only said that he helped to move the body, not dispose of it. Simonds then said, “I’m sorry for what I did. I apologize to the court, the family and to Ms. Richheimer (the victim’s mother).”
Judge W. Howard Sullivan told Simonds to turn around and face the mother of the victim, Regina Richheimer, while making his apology. The mother also read a letter to the court before Simonds’ sentencing.
“He might have been just somebody to you, but he was my son to me. Because of you, I was unable to see my son one last time because of the state his body was in,” said Richheimer.
The mother said she found it “unacceptable” that Simonds was only getting six months in jail for helping move the body and was angry that the court was not enforcing sentence immediately. “My son won’t be here for Christmas,” she said.
“If it wasn’t for the police, I may have never found my son,” said Richheimer.
“You treated my son’s body worse than you’d treat a dog’s you hit in the road,” said the mother before finishing her letter.
Co-conspirator Reynolds is facing one to two and a half years in state prison in exchange for his guilty plea to second degree criminal possession of marijuana (D felony). He had between three and four pounds of the drug at his home when he was arrested in July.
Reynolds also had to surrender his bank accounts and some property, totaling nearly $30,000. The money will go to the county to be used by local law enforcement agencies in drug prevention programs.
Reynolds has also agreed to testify to the events that took place on the night in question and against any other parties present, in particular Richheimer’s co-conspirator, James F. Bush, 46, of Burdick-Medbury Road, Town of Norwich.
Bush was also arrested for first-degree burglary, attempted robbery and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, by the Chenango County Sheriff Office. Bush allegedly drove Richheimer to Reynolds’ house on his motorcycle and owned the sawed-off shot-gun used in the attempted crime. Police said Bush has a long criminal history, but would not release specifics.
Reynolds will be appearing in court Friday for final sentencing where the mother will again be afforded her right to address the court.
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