Chris Pritchard
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Christopher "Chris" W. Pritchard (born November 25, 1968) is an American man convicted for masterminding the attempted murder of his mother Bonnie Von Stein and the murder of his stepfather Lieth Von Stein in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina. Enlisting the help of friends James Bartlett Upchurch III and Gerald Neal Henderson, Pritchard spearheaded the murder of Von Stein in hopes of winning a US$2 million inheritance.
Pritchard was convicted of murder in the second degree (aiding and abetting) and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or do serious injury. He was sentenced to life in North Carolina on January 31, 1990, and paroled on June 2, 2007.
The sensational case and trial are the subject of two books, each of which was adapted into a TV movie. The 1991 book Cruel Doubt by Joe McGinniss was released on TV in May 1992 as a 2-part miniseries of the same name. The 1992 book Blood Games by Jerry Bledsoe was released on TV in April 1992 under the name Honor Thy Mother. The case garnered particular infamy because of the media focus on the involvement of the conspirators in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, which both films heavily emphasized.[1][2]
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Cruel Doubt on The Escapist's FAQ
- ^ The Attacks on Role-Playing Games, by Paul Cardwell, Jr., originally published in Skeptical Inquirer, 18:2, 1994 (157-165).
[edit] Sources
- Cruel Doubt IMDb Entry, <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104031/>. Retrieved on 17 June 2007
- Honor Thy Mother IMDb Entry, <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104441/>. Retrieved on 17 June 2007
- McGinnis, Joe (1991), Cruel Doubt, USA: Pocket Star Books, ISBN 0671775391
- "Pritchard, Christopher W." North Carolina Department of Correction Public Access Information System, <http://webapps6.doc.state.nc.us/apps/offender/offend1?DOCNUM=0331540&SENTENCEINFO=yes&SHOWPHOTO=yes&numtimesin=2>. Retrieved on 17 June 2007
