Man Charged with Murder After Striking Caretaker with a Table

On Sunday, November 13, 2022, a little after 10:00 a.m., Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a disturbance with a weapon call in the 9200 block of SW Midea Court in unincorporated Washington County. 

A 79-year-old woman called 911 when her son, 44-year-old Benjamin Hershel Ritchie, assaulted her and her caretaker. When deputies arrived, they found the caretaker, 57-year-old Clare Krill, unresponsive on the floor. There was severe trauma to her head and face, which deputies learned was caused when Ritchie struck her with a side table.

Deputies and medical responders provided life-saving measures before transporting Krill by ambulance to a local area hospital in serious condition. 

Detectives from the Violent Crimes Unit responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.

Deputies arrested Ritchie and transported him to the Washington County Jail. On Monday, November 21, a Washington County grand jury indicted Ritchie on the following charges:

• Attempted murder in the second degree
• Assault in the first degree
• Unlawful use of a weapon
• Assault in the second degree

On Tuesday, November 22, at 8:24 p.m., Krill died in the hospital from her injuries. Krill’s family was notified of her death.

On Monday, November 28, a Washington County grand jury indicted Ritchie for murder in the second degree. He remains at the Washington County jail awaiting trial, and the investigation is ongoing.

Members of the Violent Crimes Unit are called upon to investigate serious violent crimes such as homicides, suspicious deaths, adult sexual assaults, kidnappings, robberies, extortion, serious assaults, elder abuse, and missing persons.