A Walking Dead Actor Sent Ricin To The President
An actress named Shannon Richardson who had a small role on AMC’s hit zombie drama The Walking Dead was arrested for sending poisoned letters to prominent public figures. She was reportedly connected to letters laced with ricin, a highly toxic substance, sent to both President Barack Obama and New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
Richardson was taken into custody two weeks after she contacted the FBI to tell them that her husband, Nathaniel Richardson, sent the letters in question. The Walking Dead actress claimed to have found “suspicious materials,” but is now being charged with doing the deed herself, apparently incensed about potential gun-control legislation.
The letter from the The Walking Dead actress addressed to Bloomberg read, “You will have to kill me and my family before you get my guns. Anyone who wants to come to my house will get shot in the face. The right to bear arms is my constitutional God given right and I will exercise that right till the day I die.”
Nathaniel, and Army veteran, is Richardson’s fourth husband, and is reportedly filing for a divorce. You had to see that one coming, didn’t you?
Richardson also apparently appeared on The Vampire Diaries, but her roles both there and on The Walking Dead were so minimal that they’re not even listed on IMDb. My theory is that she was an uncredited zombie and walked past someone during a scene at a mall. That’s just a guess though.
Whatever her role, it was so unmemorable that she didn’t leave much of an impression. After hearing about the arrest, former Walking Dead showrunner Glen Mazzara even tweeted about not knowing who Richardson is.
Some actress from TWD sent ricin letters to the Prez? Never heard of her. Anyone know what role she played?
— Glen Mazzara (@glenmazzara) June 8, 2013
When it was all said and done, in December 2013, Richardson pleaded guilty in federal court to manufacturing and possessing a biological weapon. She was sentenced to 18 years in prison for sending the ricin-laced letters.
