Oklahoma woman says she fears for her safety after ex-husband’s plea deal
MCINTOSH COUNTY, Okla. (KOKH) — A woman who was running for her life because she thought her ex-husband was going to kill her just faced him again in court.
She said he got a much lighter sentence than she expected, plus, she said what happened is not what she heard from the District Attorney’s Office.
When Richard Phillips walked into a McIntosh County Courtroom, he covered his face with a big yellow envelope and repeatedly showed his middle finger.
For months, Richard faced charges of kidnapping and pointing a gun at Victoria Kolbash back in February 2024.
Victoria said Richard held her captive for five terrifying hours.
“When he had me in the apartment in Eufaula, and he put the gun to the back of my head, I instantly thought of my children and my grandchildren, and I thought I was done,” said Kolbash.
Court documents show that when Eufaula Police found Richard, he had a .32 caliber handgun and two magazines.
Victoria said she believed Richard was going to kill her. She said after he kidnapped her in Eufaula, she got away and filed a protective order.
She then ran for her life across state lines to Missouri, but Richard crossed state lines too and somehow found her.
“When they actually found him, and I came outside to walk my dog, and that cop [told] me to get inside, I had no doubt he was there to finish the job,” Kolbash said.
Police in Missouri arrested Richard right across the street from Victoria’s apartment. Police said he had a sawed-off shotgun and a box of ammunition.
“I would have been done,” said Kolbash. “I have no doubt that’s what he planned to do, and I have no doubt that once he completed his task, he was going to try to flee the country.”
Outside of court, FOX23 Investigative Reporter Janna Clark asked Richard about his intentions with Victoria.
Richard declined to answer, saying, “I’m not answering. You’re wasting your time. Get out of my face.”
Before he was brought back to Oklahoma by deputies, Richard faced charges in Missouri and pleaded guilty to transporting an illegal weapon and to violating a protective order.
Richard then went to McIntosh County, where Victoria went to court multiple times for over a year.
Victoria thought she was finally going to see a stiffer sentence when the Assistant District Attorney Gregory R. Stidham called and said he wanted to meet with her.
“He said that if we were allowed to use Missouri’s case in McIntosh County to prove [a] pattern of what he’s doing to women, that they would offer him five years' probation and five years in jail, and [a] no contact order with me for 10 years,” Kolbash said.
Victoria said without that Missouri case, Richard might only face time served and probation.
“Of course, I wasn’t happy with the second option at all,” said Kolbash. “I would more rather [we] went to trial than just give him a plea deal of getting out right away. I was upset with what he was presenting me, and I told him so. I said it doesn’t matter; it’s going to be the ‘Good ‘Ol Boy’ system. You guys are going to do what you want, and I have to live with the consequences. He got upset with me for calling him a ‘good ‘ol boy,’ but that’s how I feel.”
Victoria said a few days later, Assistant DA Stidham called to say Richard had accepted the plea deal.
“He did not tell me what the plea deal was. I assumed we were allowed to use the Missouri information,” said Kolbash. “We did get that approved, so I assumed it was going to be the five-year probation, like he told me, and that’s not what it came out to be.”
Instead, the plea deal that Richard agreed to meant the kidnapping charge was dropped. He still had two gun charges and a felony conviction, but only 150 more days in jail and probation.
Victoria said while she was angry with this decision, she wasn’t surprised.
“It made me very angry but not surprised. I do not feel the victim is taken into consideration at all. It’s all about his rights,” Kolbash said. “Him being treated fairly makes it all about the criminal, and I don’t even know why he called me down there to discuss the case and tell me what he was going to do if that’s not what the outcome was going to be.”
Janna called the McIntosh County DA’s Office and asked to speak with Assistant DA Stidham, but he was unavailable. Janna then asked for his email address but was told Stidham doesn’t have one and that he doesn’t use email.
“He has the gall and audacity to say, ‘Well, he’s been sitting in there long enough. Maybe he’ll leave you alone.’ I said, ‘That’s pretty naive thinking. This gentleman has not only abused me — there's other women before me. He’s not going to leave it alone," said Kolbash. “I’m the only one that’s got any kind of justice at all, as far as having him put in jail. He’s going to come out an angry man, and when he does get out, my life will always be [in danger]. I’ll be on high alert all the time.”
Victoria said she does not believe Richard will ever leave her alone, and that thought scares her.
“When he gets out, he’s got plans. I’m promising you. I don’t trust him,” said Kolbash. “I’m scared for myself. It concerns me not only that he will seek me out, but that he will try to seek me out through my family, my children — I worry more for my family than myself. All kinds of crap is running through my head because I know when his feet hit the ground, I’m going to be on high alert. I’ll have to be.”
Soon, Richard will walk out of McIntosh County, and then he’ll have to go straight to Pittsburg County to face his charges for domestic abuse and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
“I’m hoping that maybe now that he has two convictions behind him, maybe Pittsburgh will be more strict and give him what's due,” Kolbash said. “Who knows what they'll do there? They might just slap him on the hand and send him down the road. I don’t know.”
Victoria said it’s tough to move on now, and it will be really hard to know what to do when Richard is out of jail for good.
“It’s so scary. It’s really scary to think that somebody has that kind of control over your life. You know? It’s like I don't even know how to plan a life,” Kolbash said. “I have things I want to do, things I want to go see, and I can’t because I got court. That keeps me tied here. Once he gets out, it’s like I don’t know what my future looks like."
After Richard Phillips finishes his 150 days in McIntosh County Jail, he will be taken to Pittsburgh County Jail and will face his charges there.
Richard now has two felony convictions with what happened to Victoria — one in Missouri and one in McIntosh County.