Man Says He's Sorry for Killing Former Iowa College Golfer

August 14, 2019 09:15 AM

AMES, Iowa (AP) - The homeless man who pleaded guilty to killing a former Iowa State golfer has told a judge that he's sorry for his crime.
    
A handwritten letter from 22-year-old Collin Richards says he wanted to show remorse "for stripping a life from society ... worse from a loving family." The letter was filed Tuesday into court records.
    
Richards is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 23 to life in prison. Police say he killed 22-year-old Celia Barquín Arozamena, stabbing her last September while she was playing on a course near the campus in Ames, leaving her body in a pond. Richards had been staying at a homeless encampment in nearby woods.
    
Barquín Arozamena was a top golfer in Spain as a teenager and came to Iowa State to pursue her career.

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