A man who kept the murder of his cousin a secret from law enforcement for almost 40 years was sentenced for the crime Friday in Cass County Circuit Court.

Raymond Robert Richmond, 58, of South Bend, was charged with second-degree murder for the slaying of his cousin, Robert Stasiak nearly  four decades ago. Richmond pleaded guilty to the crime July 25.

Judge Mark Herman accepted Richmond’s plea agreement and sentenced him to serve a minimum of 12 years to a maximum of 18 years in prison.

Before Richmond was sentenced, the court heard details of the crime that, if not for some persistent family members, might never have been uncovered.

The crime occurred on Nov. 2, 1977, when Stasiak and Richmond were at Stasiak’s parents house on May Street in Edwardsburg. Stasiak, 25, had expressed his opposition to then 18-year-old Richmond’s use of marijuana, which spurred an altercation between the cousins.

Richmond eventually left the residence but later returned and continued the argument. Richmond then shot Stasiak in the right lung with a .22 caliber rifle and left the scene of the crime.

“He pulled the trigger and murdered his cousin,” said Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz. “This was no accident. He let his cousin lay there dying, blood filling up his lung.”

When Stasiak was found, authorities initially ruled his death a suicide.

For years, Stasiak’s family, including his wife, Kathy Hamburger and Stasiak’s daughter, Stephanie Stasiak, believed Stasiak had taken his own life.

On Friday, both victims gave statements to the court and said they had long awaited the day they would see justice for Stasiak.

Before she spoke, Stephanie placed a framed picture of her father on the desk facing Herman. She told the court that prior to learning the truth about her father’s death, she blamed her mother for not getting her father help. Because she was only 2-years-old when Stasiak died, she said she had little memory of her father and was saddened that she would never get to know him.

“I would give anything to hear my dad say ‘I love you, Stephanie.’ But that will never happen because of you,” she said. “Here we are, almost 40 years later, and justice finally happened for my dad. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him.”

For her part, Hamburger told the court about Richmond’s ability to deceive the family for years, while also continuing to be part of their lives. Richmond attended Stasiak’s funeral and Stephanie’s third birthday party, Hamburger said.

Hamburger said Richmond would never know the damage he had caused. She said Stasiak’s death had devastated his parents. They have since passed away and would now never know the truth about their son’s death, she said.

Hamburger described her horror when she was told police had uncovered a photo of Stasiak’s tombstone in Richmond’s house. On the back of the picture were the words, “This is where I put Bob nine months ago.”

“How do you do that and then act like nothing happened?” Hamburger said. “He has created hell in a lot of lives and the whole time, it was about saving his own butt.”

According to Fitz, Richmond had told several family members that he had killed Stasiak. Stephanie heard the confession herself when she was 17.

Stasiak’s family continued to plead with law enforcement to re-open the case. Under the direction of then Edwarsburg-Ontwa Township Police Chief Tim Kozal, the case was re-opened in 2015.

That year, Stasiak’s body was exhumed and an autopsy was conducted. In May 2016, Richmond was arrested and charged with Stasiak’s murder.

Fitz praised Stephanie and her mother for persisting to find the truth.

“Despite this terrible loss, Stephanie Stasiak brought great honor to her father,” Fitz said. “Without question, her father Robert Stasiak would be very proud of her today — so proud of the fact that she did not let a terrible false memory of her father remain on this earth.”

Defense attorney Paul Jancha turned momentarily away from the judge to face the courtroom as he spoke about Richmond’s grief for the pain he had caused.

“My client could not be more remorseful for what this family has suffered,” Jancha said.

Jancha described Richmond’s agony living with the knowledge of his cousin’s murder. This misery fueled his drug and alcohol abuse, and had been the cause of his hospitalization several times, Jancha said.

“He has not lived a wonderful life,” Jancha said. “He has lived a horrific life.”

Richmond reiterated this sentiment in his own words as he addressed the court.

“My cousin meant the world to me,” he said. “I was stupid and careless, and I wish I could turn it around. I’m very sorry. There are no words to express how sorry I am.”

Despite Richmond’s claim that the killing had been an accident, Herman questioned why a remorseful person would not help someone who had just been shot.

“It’s very hard for the court to believe that this was truly an accident,” Herman said.

Among those in the courtroom Friday were criminal justice students from Southwestern Michigan College, who had worked as advocates to help find the Stasiak family find justice.

While Kozal left his position as police chief earlier this year and is now working as a public safety director in Manistee, he traveled to the courthouse Friday and stood beside Hamburger and Stephanie as they gave their statements.

Hamburger thanked Chief Kozal for bringing justice to her family by closing the case, which, according to Fitz, is the oldest cold case to be solved in Michigan.

Before finishing her statement to the court, Hamburger read a poem expressing her gratitude for Kozal’s work.

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” she said, “hopefully this will be our new start.”