Where is Richie Wilder Jr. now? Details explored ahead of Snapped: Killer Couples on Oxygen

Richie Wilder Jr., currently serving a life sentence without parole, was convicted of murdering his ex-wife, Angila Wilder, in November 2015. The brutal killing, marked by 44 stab wounds, occurred at Angila’s Minot, North Dakota home while her two-year-old son was asleep in another room.

Her fiancé, Chris Jackson, discovered the crime scene after returning home from work and immediately suspected Richie Wilder. According to Oxygen (September 9, 2021), Angila had previously expressed fear of being watched before her death.

Richie Wilder initially provided an alibi, claiming to have been home with his second wife, Cynthia Wilder. However, physical evidence, including his DNA under Angila’s fingernails and a scratch on his cheek, contradicted his statements, as per Minot Daily News, September 19, 2017. Cynthia was later convicted for conspiracy to commit murder after admitting to helping plan the crime.

The case is set to be revisited in Snapped: Killer Couples on Oxygen on March 9. The episode, titled Cynthia and Richie Wilder, will explore how their actions led to life sentences for both.

Richie Wilder is serving a life sentence without parole for killing his ex-wife, Angila Wilder

On November 13, 2015, 30-year-old Angila Wilder, a mother of three and a nursing student at Minot State University, was found brutally murdered in her Minot, North Dakota, home. She had been stabbed 44 times, with multiple deep wounds to her chest, neck, and face, as per Metro.co.uk, October 21, 2018.

Angila’s fiancé, Chris Jackson, discovered the scene when he returned home from an overnight shift at Walmart. He immediately called 911, reporting that the back door had been kicked in. Their two-year-old son was found unharmed in another room, as noted in Oxygen, September 9, 2021.

Police learned from Jackson that Angila had been anxious the night before her murder, believing someone had been outside the house. She had texted and called Jackson during his shift but stopped responding after 2 a.m. Surveillance footage later confirmed Jackson was at work all night, ruling him out as a suspect, as reported in Minot Daily News on September 19, 2017.

Investigation and arrest of Richie Wilder

As per Oxygen, Jackson, while speaking to a friend in the police interrogation room, immediately pointed to Angila’s ex-husband, Richie Wilder, as the likely perpetrator. Jackson stated:

“Richie’s probably the [expletive] piece of [expletive] who did it,” .... “God, I [expletive] hope they piece it to him.”

At the time, Richie Wilder was married to Cynthia Wilder, a kindergarten teacher. He told investigators he had been home all night, a claim Cynthia backed. However, forensic evidence contradicted his alibi. Investigators found a drop of Angila’s blood in one of Richie Wilder’s vehicles and his DNA under her fingernails. He also had a noticeable scratch on his cheek, as per Minot Daily News.

As noted in Oxygen, prosecutors presented physical evidence and multiple inconsistencies in Wilder’s statements to the jury. The deliberation took less than an hour before they returned a guilty verdict.

“I’ve had simple theft cases that have taken longer to decide,” said prosecutor Kelly Dillon .

Cynthia Wilder’s involvement and arrest

Following his conviction, it appeared that the case had reached its conclusion. However, Cynthia Wilder later made shocking admissions that implicated her in the crime.

A former acquaintance, Matt Walters, reconnected with her online, and during their conversations, she revealed details about the murder that had not been publicly disclosed. Walters, disturbed by what he heard, contacted law enforcement and agreed to record their conversations.

During one exchange, Cynthia admitted she and Richie Wilder had planned the murder for nearly two years. She told Walters she was “proud” of her husband but angry that he “got caught” as per Oxygen. As noted by Metro.co.uk, on October 21, 2018, she even suggested that she would have handled the crime differently, stating:

"If it was me, I f**king would have gone back and cut her f**king fingers off. I would have burned them. I would have lit the house on fire… I could go to jail for a very long time because I helped him."

Cynthia’s recorded confessions led to her arrest on charges of conspiracy to commit murder. Initially, prosecutors offered her a plea deal of 25 years in prison, but she rejected it, opting for an Alford plea maintaining innocence while acknowledging that the evidence was sufficient for a conviction. Instead of a reduced sentence, the judge sentenced her to life without parole, stating:

“You were the one person who could have stopped this nightmare” (Oxygen, September 9, 2021).

Where is Richie Wilder now?

Following his conviction, Richie Wilder was moved out of North Dakota and is serving his life sentence in an out-of-state facility, federal prison in central California as per KFYR-TV, December 13, 2017.

He later attempted an appeal for post-conviction relief, arguing that improper legal arguments were made during his trial regarding his right to remain silent. However, the courts denied his requests, as noted in The Dickinson Press on August 8, 2020.

The Wilder case remains a subject of public and media interest, particularly as Snapped: Killer Couples revisits the details of Cynthia and Richie Wilder, exploring the sequence of events that led to both being sentenced to life in prison.

Stay tuned for more updates.

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