Earlier today, Richard Hanson, 64, charged with beating his wife to death in their Newton, Massachusetts home, pleaded not guilty to a new murder charge in Middlesex Superior Court. As reported by NBC Boston, the grand jury indictment elevated the murder case from district court, leading to Hanson being held without bail while the case is pending.
Nancy Hanson, 54, was found fatally wounded with injuries to her head in one of their children's bedrooms on July 15th, 2023. Throughout this dreadful incident, the couple's three children were present and witnessed the horrifying attack, now remaining in state custody. According to Boston 25 News, one of the children saw Richard Hanson hitting Nancy with a baseball bat in the back and head. Another child observed their father sitting on the bed with a baseball bat, while their mother lay injured on the floor.
Hanson's court-appointed lawyer stated that his client wishes to maintain contact with his children "if they choose to contact him." However, the judge declared that if the children wanted to reach out, a motion could be filed for review by a judge. As the case proceeds, the court ordered Hanson to have no contact with his children directly or through third parties.
As mentioned by WCVB, the couple had a tumultuous relationship and had repeatedly obtained restraining orders against each other. In fact, just two days before Nancy Hanson's death, she had received a restraining order that Newton police were trying to serve but were unable to do so successfully.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Nancy had expressed concerns about her husband's behavior, accusing him of not giving her access to the couple's financial resources for over a year. Court documents show that she mentioned Richard's excessive spending, theft of their children's money, and his increasing alcohol consumption.
When police arrived at the scene of the crime on July 15th, they discovered Richard Hanson in the driveway, covered in blood. In a chilling recount by NBC Boston, Richard reportedly told the officers, "She was cheating on me. I can't believe I did that. I can't believe I did that." He is currently being held without bail on first-degree murder charges.
Following the proceedings, the judge granted Hanson's lawyer's request for funds to hire a forensic psychologist and a private investigator up to $2,000 and discussed the possibility of Hanson hiring a private attorney. However, Hanson's current lawyer stated that his client has no access to funds outside of property.
