Viswa Vanapalli
Angila Wilder was a loving mother of three with her whole life ahead of her when tragedy struck. The aspiring nurse was brutally murdered in her home in Minot, North Dakota, while her 2-year-old son was in his crib. NBC News’ ‘Dateline: Prairie Confidential’ focuses on the investigation that led to the arrest of Angila’s killer and how it turned out to be her ex-husband. This meant that two of Angila’s children were left without both their parents. So, if you’re wondering what happened to the kids since then, here’s what we know!
Who Are Angila Wilder’s Kids?
Angila and Richie had been married before the latter’s abusive behavior contributed to their divorce. The two had a daughter and a son named Alexandria and Nikolai, who were about 10 and 4 years of age at the time of the incident. Angila had then begun a relationship with Chris Jackson, her high school sweetheart. The two had a 2-year-old son, Chris Jr, and Angila was pregnant with their second child when she was killed.
When Chris returned from work on the morning of November 13, 2015, he discovered Angila had been stabbed more than 40 times in the bedroom. Fortunately, their son was unharmed, but Chris knew who might have been responsible right away. At the time, Richie and Angila had several arguments regarding the custody of their children. While a judge had granted permanent custody to the mother, they often lived with Richie and his wife, Cynthia.
On the night of the murder, the two kids stayed over at Richie’s home. The authorities later found out that Cynthia helped plan the slaying while Richie broke into Angila’s home to stab her. In the end, both Richie and Cynthia were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for their part in the crime, leaving the children with no parents. Linda Branch, Angila’s mother, was distraught after Richie’s guilty verdict, saying, “I lost my daughter last year, and now they’re gonna lose their son, and it just breaks my heart that any of this happened. I have three grandchildren that have lost their mother and their father.”
Where Are Angila Wilder’s Kids Now?
After the arrests, Angila’s mother, Linda Branch, was appointed the legal guardian of Angila and Richie’s children. In September 2017, a judge initially ruled that Richie would have no contact with the kids before changing his decision to leave it up to the children once they turn 18. However, in April 2018, the Supreme Court overturned the decision. Alexandria and Nikolai were last reported to be living with their maternal grandparents, Linda and Leon Hollenbeck, with their last known location being Jacksonville, Florida. As for Chris Jr, he was presumably left in the care of his father, who used to live in North Dakota.
Read More: Where is Richie Wilder Jr Now?
