The Conspiracy and the Murder
Torre's criminal history extended far beyond fraudulent credentials. He became romantically involved with a married woman and conspired with her to murder her husband, Bryan Richards, in order to collect a $1 million life insurance policy — a calculated, premeditated scheme to profit from homicide.
Before carrying out the killing himself, Torre approached Gerald Strebendt and offered him $10,000 to commit the murder on his behalf. Strebendt declined. Torre then acted alone, killing Bryan Richards on December 21, 2001. In the aftermath, Torre claimed self-defense in an attempt to avoid criminal liability — a claim that ultimately failed to persuade a jury.
Arrest, Conviction, and Sentencing
Torre was not arrested until December 2003, approximately two years after Richards' death, and was convicted of murder in 2005. He received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole in California. As of November 5, 2025, Torre was 61 years old and housed in a general population treatment facility within the California state prison system.
The case drew sustained attention from the BJJ and MMA community in part because of Torre's prior notoriety as a fraud within those circles. It remains one of the most disturbing intersections of combat sports deception and violent crime in the sport's history.