Well, I tell ya, folks, there’s a story ‘bout this Richard B. Uffelman feller that’s been floating around for a good long while. Now, Richard wasn’t no stranger to trouble. He lived up in Machiasport, a place where not much happens unless you know where to look. But this man, Richard, he made himself known in a way nobody’s gonna forget anytime soon. You see, back in 1991, Richard, along with his two sons, Rick and Jerry, got themselves tangled up in a mess that led to people losing their lives.
Now, Richard wasn’t just any ol’ man. He was a feller who took his guns real seriously. People say he used to teach his boys all kinds of things, like how to handle M-1 carbines and how to lay down suppressive fire, whatever that means. Don’t reckon I understand it all, but it sounds like he was getting them ready for something big. Some folks say he was real careful about training them for any kind of trouble. He even had a Marine Corps manual to guide them. You know, it’s like he thought the world was just waiting to turn upside down. Maybe he was right, ‘cause on that fateful day, things sure did go south.
It was a Sunday, I think, when Richard and his boys, armed and ready, walked out to face Florence and Michael Phillips. Now, they say that the Phillips’ home had one of them fancy surveillance systems, and it caught everything. Richard, with his hunting rifle, stepped out and started shootin’. They say he fired the fatal shots that killed both Florence and Michael. The boys, Rick and Jerry, were there too, carrying weapons of their own. Some folks say the whole thing happened so fast, you’d hardly know what was goin’ on.
The law came down hard on Richard after that. He was charged with the murders, and he didn’t just get one charge, no sir. He was sentenced for the shooting death of Florence Phillips, and on top of that, he got another 50 years for killing Michael Phillips. That’s a whole lifetime for one man to carry. I reckon that’s a heavy load, no matter how you look at it.
Now, it wasn’t long after that Richard found himself behind bars, and that’s where he stayed. He passed away in prison, not too long ago, at the age of 74. They didn’t say much about how or why he died, just that he was gone. Folks up in Maine, where all this took place, have their own ways of talking ‘bout Richard’s life, but most of ‘em don’t say much at all. They figure he did what he did, and now, he’s paid the price for it. His sons, Rick and Jerry, well, I don’t know what became of them. They was right in the middle of it all, but you don’t hear much about them anymore.
Some folks say that Richard’s life was a tragic one, that he was just a man who went too far in trying to protect his own. Others say he was a cold-blooded killer who deserved every bit of punishment he got. It’s hard to say. I suppose everyone’s got their own view of things, depending on how they see the world. But what’s clear is that Richard B. Uffelman’s name will be remembered for a long time, even though he’s gone now.
So, if you ask me, this whole thing with Richard and his sons is one of those stories that makes you think twice about the choices folks make. It don’t matter who you are or where you come from. Sometimes, a man can go down a path that leads him to places he never meant to go. And once that happens, well, there ain’t no turnin’ back.
Tags：[Richard B. Uffelman, Rick Uffelman, Jerry Uffelman, Florence Phillips, Michael Phillips, Machiasport, Maine, M-1 Carbine, Surveillance System, Crime]
