Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

Texas actress gets 18 years in prison for attempting to poison President Obama

The bizarre case involving a Texas actress, three ricin-laced letters and President Barack Obama has come to an end. Shannon Guess Richardson, a 35-year-old woman from New Boston, Texas, near Texarkana, was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison on July 16.

Richardson, a married mother of six, has appeared in episodes of The Walking Dead and in the movie The Blind Side. She allegedly gave birth to her sixth child while in federal custody for this crime.

Shannon Guess Richardson initially reported her husband was responsible for the ricin-laced letters.

After a lengthy investigation that included the FBI, the Secret Service, and police departments in New York and Texas, Richardson pleaded guilty to biological weapons charges. She initially reported her husband, Nathan, was responsible for the ricin-laced letters that were mailed to Obama, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and gun control advocate Mark Glaze.

Nathan Richardson has since filed for divorce.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, between April and May 2013, Richardson made online purchases of castor bean seeds and sodium hydroxide, which are used to make ricin. On May 20, 2013, Richardson mailed letters containing the biological toxins to Obama, Bloomberg and Glaze from the New Boston post office.

Ten days later, she told police her husband was behind the ricin-laced letters. There is no known cure for ricin poisoning once it enters the body through ingestion, inhalation or injection.

"Today's sentencing brings an appropriate and just end to what is surely one of our most unusual, even bizarre cases," U.S. Attorney John Bales said in a statement. "The investigation was also very challenging, and I hope that East Texans are encouraged to know that their East Texas law enforcement proved to be amazingly resourceful, determined and focused in all facets of this prosecution."

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2 Dallas universities earn top spots in U.S. News' rankings for 2025

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Two prestigious Dallas universities – Southern Methodist University and The University of Texas at Dallas – have come out on top among the best universities in Texas for 2025, according to U.S. News and World Report's just-released list of the Best Colleges for 2025.

Southern Methodist University claimed No. 5 in Texas, and ranked No. 91 nationally in a two-spot slip from last year's ranking. The private institution has a 90 percent first-year retention rate, and an "actual" graduation rate of 83 percent. SMU costs $60,709 in tuition and fees for students each year, and according to the school's profile, it has an acceptance rate of 61 percent.

In April, SMU's graduate business school ranked No. 3 in U.S. News' ranking of the best graduate schools in Texas, with the graduate education school and the Dedman School of Law also earning No. 3 rankings in their respective categories.

SMU very recently topped the charts as the No. 1 Christian college in America in Niche's new rankings for 2025.

In a glowing review of the university, one former student said SMU is an "academically solid" school for eager learners.

"I had a very meaningfully academic experience," the reviewer wrote. "Yes, there is fun and games, but one obtains a very solid education and can stand shoulder to shoulder in one's field with graduates from any school."

SMU's cross-Metroplex rival, Texas Christian University, ranked No. 6 in Texas and No. 105 nationally for 2025.

University of Texas at Dallas students have new reason to be proud of their school. Facebook/UT Dallas

Just behind TCU, Richardson's University of Texas at Dallas placed No. 7 in the Texas rankings, and moved up six spots to claim No. 109 nationally. The public university costs $14,644 in tuition and fees for in-state students, and has an acceptance rate of 65 percent. UTD has a first-year retention rate of 88 percent, and a 75 percent "actual" graduation rate.

U.S. News' top 10 best colleges in Texas in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Rice University, Houston
No. 2 – University of Texas at Austin
No. 3 – Texas A&M University, College Station
No. 4 – Baylor University, Waco
No. 5 – Southern Methodist University, Dallas
No. 6 – Texas Christian University, Fort Worth
No. 7 – The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson
No. 8 – University of Houston
No. 9 – University of St. Thomas, Houston
No. 10 – Texas Tech University, Lubbock

The full rankings can be found on usnews.com.

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