Before her name was tied to a federal indictment, Shannon Richardson was known for appearances on television shows like The Walking Dead and The Vampire Diaries. In 2013, she became the center of a national criminal investigation involving letters sent to high-profile political figures. As investigators peeled back the layers, the case revealed a calculated act that carried consequences far beyond the headlines.

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Episode Sources:

“Texas Woman Sentenced for Sending Ricin Letters” from July 16, 2014, Dallas U.S. Attorney’s Office

“Woman sentenced for sending ricin-laced letters to president sues East Texas jail officials from April 17, 2015, KLTV

“ETX woman indicted for sending ricin letters” from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Published June 28, 2013, Updated August 27, 2013, KLTV

“Man at center of ricin investigation attended James Bowie High in Simms” by Paige Alexander, May 31, 2013, Texarkana Gazette

“Texas father gets custody of ricin-suspect's baby” by the Associated Press, August 27, 2013, WFAA

“New Boston, Texas Woman Indicted For Ricin Letters” by Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, June 28, 2013, United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Texas

“Shannon Richardson gets 18-year jail term for posting ricin” from July 17, 2014, BBC News

“East Texas woman who mailed ricin to President Obama denied reduced sentence” by Meredith Billings, September 24, 2025, KLTV

“Texas Ricin Suspect Who Tried to Frame Husband Cuts a Deal” by Dean Schabner and Melissa Lustrin, November 23, 2013, ABC News

“Actress Shannon Richardson pleads guilty in ricin case” from December 10, 2013, BBC News

“The Story Of Shannon Richardson, The ‘Walking Dead’ Actress Who Mailed Deadly Poison To President Barack Obama” by Marco Margaritoff, Edited By Erik Hawkins, Published March 15, 2022, All That’s Interesting

“Shannon Richardson” from IMDb

Creeptastic theme music by:

Nicholas Davio - nicholasdavio.com, @mr.nick.davio, @huron_coast

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