Any type of violent crime is a tragedy that needs to be properly handled by the court of law. This can be even more devastating when one family member harms another, which then causes an untimely death. A few years ago, a story in Texas made national news when a man was arrested for killing his wife after a fight.
On December 19, 2016 Johnny Oliphant returned home from an evening at a local bar and was immediately involved in an argument with his wife, Gina Oliphant. The argument quickly got very heated, and Johnny Oliphant ended up shooting and killing his wife. After shooting his wife, Johnny Oliphant ended up drinking more alcohol and took a lot of pills in an apparent attempt to take his own life. However, he ended up surviving and called 911. When authorities arrived on the scene, he was arrested and charged with murder. Oliphant was initially released on $100,000 bond but is still facing federal felony murder charges with a trial forthcoming.
While Johnny Oliphant is facing serious charges as a result of the murder, his legal troubles do not appear to be ending there. More than two years after the initial charges, the couple’s son, Dylan, has decided to file a lawsuit against his father citing wrongful death. The new lawsuit was filed under Dylan’s new last name, Riccio, which he changed shortly after the murder took place, which led to national news.
In the lawsuit that was recently filed, Riccio claimed that his parents had been fighting a lot in the year leading up to the incident. He stated that the couple had contemplated divorce several times, but never fully went through with it. During this time, Riccio also frequently suggested that his mother leave his father out of concern for her emotional wellbeing and overall personal safety.
While his mother never did leave his father, Riccio clearly continued to have a great relationship with his mother during this difficult time. Riccio considered his mother to be his best friend and cited a significant amount of emotional damage ever since the incident took place. Through the loss of his mother, Riccio no longer has the emotional support that he used to receive.
