Michael Richard

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Michael Charles Richard (born July 20, 1975 in Metairie, Louisiana; died December 30, 2021 in Bessemer) was an urban explorer whose TikTok account "AloneInTheDark" gathered 325,000 followers.

Michael, one of six children born to Max and Eileen Richard, grew up in Hoover and attended Berry High School through 10th grade. He earned his GED and completed an associates degree in networking engineering at Virginia College. He worked as a packager for Amazon.

In pursuing an interest in urban exploration, Richard made a habit of visiting abandoned buildings and supposedly haunted sites in the area, usually streaming live videos to TikTok, where he gained an extensive following. He often brought food and blankets to give to squatters or persons experiencing homelessness that he encountered.

Richard found himself homeless after losing his apartment lease some time in 2021. He slept in his car some nights. On December 30 of that year, he was apparently sleeping in a loaner car while his vehicle was being serviced, which was parked outside of the vacant former Knights Inn motel at 1121 9th Avenue Southwest in Bessemer. He was found shot to death that afternoon. His wallet was taken, but his mobile phone and work identification were with him. No arrests have been made in the case, and $10,000 in reward money has been put up by the family and Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama for information.

Richard's ashes were interred in the columbarium at Prince of Peace Catholic Church.

References

  • Robinson, Carol (December 31, 2021) "Hoover man found shot to death in vehicle at vacant Bessemer motel." The Birmingham News
  • "Michael Charles Richard" obituary (January 18, 2022) The Birmingham News
  • "Crime Stoppers offering $10,000 for information about cold case in Bessemer." (July 31, 2022) wbrc.com
  • Robinson, Carol (February 27, 2023) "Family longs to know why an urban explorer was shot to death outside a burned Bessemer motel." AL.com

External links