ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. —

A South Carolina man has been sentenced to nearly two decades in prison for killing his estranged wife while in the presence of three children.

On Tuesday, First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe announced that 55-year-old Richard Amous of Santee, South Carolina, has been sentenced for the killing of his estranged wife in September 2021.

Amous pleaded guilty, but mentally ill to voluntary manslaughter in Orangeburg County on Aug. 7, 2025. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison.

First Circuit Solicitor's Office

On Sept. 15, 2021, 48-year-old Freyana Amous was at her home with three children when Richard arrived uninvited. A verbal altercation ensued between the former couple, during which Richard brought out a handgun and pointed it at Freyana. She was shot once

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