Did Richard III Really Murder His Nephews? The accusation against Richard III first gained widespread attention in 1513, when the famed statesman and philosopher Sir Thomas More published his scathing biography The History of King Richard III . Historians have long wondered whether More’s contention that Richard III ordered the execution of his nephews was credible, but Professor Thornton asserts that his research proves it was. Thornton has identified two associates of More as the sons of one of the hired assassins who actually committed the murders, concluding that More discovered the true story about the fate of the two princes through his contact with these individuals.