Evil Lives Here is in Bedford, Texas, to examine an alarming case where Roxann Sanchez and her young son Anthony Figueroa were beaten and stabbed to death by Cedric Allen Ricks at their apartment.
At the time, Ricks was a medical assistant and the boyfriend of Roxann; however, he had a long history of extreme violence against his partners, and the prosecution would later describe him as a psychopath.
On May 1, 2013, Roxann and her young sons arrived home to find Ricks aggressively arguing with her. The argument escalated until he began physically attacking Roxann causing 12-year-old Marcus and 8-year-old Anthony to bravely come to their mother’s defense.
At this point, Ricks grabbed a knife and stabbed 30-year-old Roxann to death; he then turned on the two boys. He killed Anthony with the knife, but Marcus ran to a closet and attempted to dial 911. Ricks ripped the door off the closet, causing Marcus to run back into the living room where his mom and brother were lying.
Ricks caught Marcus and stabbed him multiple times in the head and back. When he attempted to get up, he was stabbed again. The child decided to play dead by imitating the gurgling sound his dying brother had made a few minutes before. He then lay still beside his mom and brother as Ricks took a shower before fleeing the scene.
After Ricks had left, Marcus dialed 911 and was airlifted to a hospital. This incredibly tough and brave boy would later testify against Ricks in court.
Cedric Ricks admitted to relatives that he was a murderer
Meanwhile, Ricks telephoned his cousin to say he had killed Roxann and would they go to the apartment to collect his 9-month-old son, Isaiah, who, thankfully, had been left unharmed in the attack.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelThe cops traced his call and learned that he was heading north. Later that night, two troopers from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol arrested Ricks approximately 70 miles from the Texas border. The Oklahoma cops took him to Garvin County jail, where he was reportedly beaten by fellow inmates after they’d learned of his crime.
At Ricks’s trial, his ex-wife, Teshana Singleton, told the court how he had tried to kill her several times during the five years they were married. On one occasion, he tried to strangle her in front of a police station and had to be restrained by several officers.
In May 2014, Cedric Ricks was found guilty of capital murder and was sentenced to death. He currently resides on death row.
More from Evil Lives Here
Follow the links to read about more murders examined on Evil Lives Here.
Cameron Todd Willingham of Corsicana, Texas, was charged, convicted, and executed for the murder of his three young daughters. He was accused of setting a fire that led to their deaths; however, some doubt over the validity of his conviction has since been raised.
Alexander Watson was arrested after an armed robbery turned into a murder, but while he was in custody, DNA evidence revealed that he had killed before and that he was an undiscovered serial killer.
Evil Lives Here airs at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.