Christopher Wayne Pritchard

Background

Christopher “Chris” W. Pritchard (born November 25, 1968) was an American man convicted for masterminding the attempted murder of his mother, Bonnie Von Stein, and the murder of his stepfather, Lieth Von Stein, in 1988 in Washington, North Carolina.

Pritchard enlisted the help of friends James Bartlett Upchurch III and Gerald Neal Henderson. Pritchard spearheaded the murder of Von Stein in hopes of winning a US$2 million inheritance.

Detectives learned that Lieth had had a poor relationship with his two stepchildren, Angela and her older brother, Chris. Angela and her older brother, Chris, were known drug users.

Police also found out that Lieth had inherited over a million dollars shortly before he was killed.

Pritchard was a devotee of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. He often vented his frustration to fellow players at North Carolina State University.

Pritchard was reported to have been bitter toward his stepfather for not spending more of the inheritance on him.

Pritchard refused to take a polygraph test, while his mother and sister had passed.

After pressured friend statements, police turned their attention to Chris and revealed that James Upchurch and Neal Henderson, other D&D players on campus, may have been involved in some sort of plot with Chris.

The offence

On July 25, 1988, police responding to an emergency call in Washington, North Carolina found Leith and Bonnie Von Stein stabbed and beaten in their home.

Leith was dead.

Bonnie, barely clinging to life, survived.

Angela, Bonnie’s 18-year-old daughter, was found in the next room. She said she had slept through the brutal attack.

Investigators were immediately distrustful of the crime scene because it appeared to have been staged as though to suggest a robbery.

Investigation

During the investigation, detectives learned that a hog farmer had spotted a fire in the woods around the time of the murder.

A hunting knife, some clothing, and a scrap of paper with a map of the Von Stein’s neighborhood were recovered from the remains of the fire.

As the investigation dragged on into 1989, police turned their attention to Chris. He refused to take a polygraph test, which his mother and sister had passed.

After turning Henderson, who accompanied Upchurch to the Von Stein home, into a state witness, prosecutors persuaded Chris to plead guilty to aiding and abetting the murder.

Although Henderson’s testimony was not entirely compatible, and there was no physical evidence tying him to the murder, Upchurch was convicted of murder in 1990 and sentenced to death.

Trial

Pritchard was convicted of murder in the second degree (aiding and abetting) and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or do serious injury.

Pritchard pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the murder after prosecutors turned Henderson into a state witness.

Pritchard testified that he had supplied a key and the map to the house where Upchurch had killed Leith Von Stein.

Sentencing

Pritchard was sentenced to life in North Carolina on January 31, 1990.

Appeals

No appeal information was provided.

Outcome

He was paroled on June 2, 2007.

James Bartlett Upchurch III was convicted of murder in 1990 and sentenced to death.

Aftermath

The case and trial were the subject of two books, each adapted into a TV movie.

The 1991 book Cruel Doubt by Joe McGinniss was released on TV in May 1992 as a 2-part miniseries of the same name.

The 1992 book Blood Games by Jerry Bledsoe was released on TV in April 1992 under the name Honor Thy Mother.

The case garnered particular infamy because of the media focus on the involvement of the conspirators in the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, which both films heavily emphasized.

A young man turned the death of his parents into a game.

Other details

Pritchard’s case involved the murder of his stepfather, Lieth Von Stein, and the attempted murder of his mother, Bonnie Von Stein, in 1988.

Angela was Bonnie’s daughter and was 18 years old at the time of the attack.

The emergency call response occurred in Washington, North Carolina.

The crime scene was described as appearing staged to suggest a robbery.

Items recovered included a hunting knife, some clothing, and a scrap of paper with a map of the Von Stein’s neighborhood.