Tape 1, Side 1, through Tape 2, Side 2. In the first interview session, conducted on May 24, 2010, Richins discusses his family background and early life in Sacramento, California, with particular attention to his family’s religious affiliation. He talks about the death of his parents in a traffic collision when he was six years old, and about the aftermath. He discusses living with his grandmother and attending school in Loomis, California, and describes his experience growing up as a member of the United Pentecostal Church. He shares his reasons for attending Conquerors Bible College in Portland, Oregon; talks about doing his mission in the Caribbean; and describes his work as a dorm counselor at a youth rehabilitation center in Martell, Nebraska. He also talks about his marriage to Cindy Springer, and describes how he came to live in Salem, Oregon, in 1974.