Bio

Christopher Wayne Pritchard was born on November 25, 1968, in Washington, North Carolina. He grew up in a blended family. His mother, Bonnie Von Stein, married Lieth Von Stein, who became Christopher's stepfather. The family dynamics were complicated. Christopher had a sister named Angela, and they both struggled with issues during their childhood.

As Christopher grew older, he attended local schools and showed interest in role-playing games, especially Dungeons & Dragons. He became deeply involved in these games and often spent time playing with friends from North Carolina State University. It was during this time that some of his frustrations with his family started to emerge.

Christopher's relationship with Lieth was reported to be strained. There were conflicts between them, and Christopher was known to express anger about his stepfather. Lieth had inherited over a million dollars before his death, which likely added to Christopher's feelings of resentment. The family faced challenges like drug use, which affected both Christopher and Angela.

Murder Story

On July 25, 1988, police in Washington, North Carolina, responded to an emergency call at the home of the Von Stein family. Upon arrival, they found Lieth Von Stein dead and his wife, Bonnie Von Stein, gravely injured but still alive. Investigators quickly suspected foul play as the scene appeared staged to resemble a burglary.

A break in the case occurred when a nearby hog farmer noticed a fire in the woods around the same time as the murder. From the fire, detectives recovered items such as a hunting knife, clothing, and a piece of paper with a map of the neighborhood.

As the investigation continued, detectives learned that Lieth had a strained relationship with his stepchildren, Chris Pritchard and his sister Angela. The police also discovered that Lieth had recently inherited a large sum of money, which made him a potential target.

By 1989, police shifted their focus to Chris Pritchard, who declined to take a polygraph test, unlike his mother and sister. Chris, a fan of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, had expressed his dissatisfaction with his stepfather's control over the inheritance. Some friends revealed that Chris had plotted with James Upchurch and Neal Henderson, fellow D&D players.

Prosecutors turned Henderson into a state witness, leading Chris to plead guilty to aiding and abetting the murder. He admitted to providing a key and map to the house, allowing Upchurch to carry out the murder. Despite the lack of physical evidence directly linking Chris to the crime, Upchurch was convicted of murder in 1990 and sentenced to death.