By STEVE SHERMAN
PUBLISHED: February 28, 2017 at https://www.trentonian.com
CROYDON – A 52-year-old Croydon man has been charged with murder for his alleged role in the vehicular death of Conwell-Egan Catholic (CEC) and Holy Family University soccer standout Jenna Richards.
Bristol Township Police have charged Louis Gene DeMora, of the 700 block of Shadyside Ave., with third degree murder for his part in a horrific Dec. 2016 car crash along River Road that left the vibrant 22-year-old redhead dead at the scene only days before Christmas.
Police say that DeMora was high on multiple drugs including heroin and cocaine at the time of the crash and that he was driving his white 1998 GMC Jimmy at a speed that exceeded 85 miles an hour when his vehicle struck Richards’ 2001 Nissan Sentra, sending it careening off two parked cars, over a fence and into a neighboring yard.
The speed limit along that stretch of River Road is 25 MPH. Investigators concluded that DeMora never hit the brakes, either before or after the impact.
Police say they have medical proof that DeMora was under the influence of opiates, cocaine and benzodiazepines (tranquilizers) at the time of the deadly crash that left him hospitalized at Aria Health Frankford Torresdale Division.
Moments after the crash, DeMora was spotted by emergency services personnel stumbling along a grassy section off the roadway not far from his SUV which was overturned lying more than a block away from the impact, which occurred near the intersection of River Road and Cedar Ave. not far from Richards’ residence.
Before he was transported to the hospital, a witnessing officer reported hearing DeMora say “I am dead. I am dead. I only wanted to hurt myself.”
Police say two days later, DeMora told investigators during a hospital interview how “sorry he was, that he was a scumbag and that he should be the dead one because it was all his fault.” The report adds that the Croydon man stated in the interview that he felt guilty because he was high on heroin at the time of the collision. He also stated that he uses Cocaine and Xanax, regularly, according to the report.
A beautiful redhead with an everlasting smile, Richards was born April 1994, the daughter of William and Donna. She was only 22. Jenna was a standout soccer player for the Lady Eagles, the HFU Tigers and the Yardley-Makefield Soccer (YMS) program.
At Conwell-Egan, Richards was an All-Catholic forward for Coach Andrzej “Andy” Adamiec. A team captain in 2010 and 2011, Richards was a scoring machine for the Eagles, notching 49 goals and 13 assists for 111 points.
In her senior year at Egan, she helped the Lady Eagles to an unprecedented 12-2 record in the Philadelphia Catholic League (PCL).
“Jenna put our program on the map,” stated Adamiec. “She helped our program become what it is today.”
At Egan, where she was a varsity starter from 2008 to 2011, Richards was a four-time All-Catholic League selection, nominated to the first team her last three seasons on Wistar Road. She graduated from CEC in 2012.
After high school, Richards joined the women’s soccer team at Holy Family, where she was a criminal justice major and a four-year starter for the Lady Tigers from 2012 to 2015. She graduated from HFU with a Bachelor of Science degree in the spring.
Richards appeared in 72 games in her four-year collegiate career, including 65 starts. At Holy Family, she recorded 17 goals, 14 assists and 48 points. Richards capped her senior season with All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) honors as she was named to the second team for the first time. She finished the 2015 season with two goals and career-best eight assists for 12 points.
In the classroom, Richards was a three-time CACC All-Academic selection and boasted a cumulative grade-point average of 3.93. She was also the inaugural (2013) recipient of the conference’s Top XV Award; an honor given to the student-athlete with the highest grade point average in the championship field.
In addition to murder, DeMora is charged with homicide by vehicle while DUI, driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, speeding and reckless driving.
DeMora was arraigned on Monday, Feb.27 in Bristol Borough before Magisterial District Justice Frank W. Peranteau Sr., who set bail at $1 million cash. DeMora is being held at Bucks County Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing for DeMora is scheduled for 9 a.m. March 8 before Judge Peranteau.
The case is being investigated by Bristol Township Police and prosecuted by Bucks County Deputy District Attorney Robert D. James.