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Woman who buried newborn found not guilty

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vermontsavant
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13 Sep 2019, 7:17 am

An Ohio woman accused of killing her newborn daughter and burying it in the backyard been found not guilty of murder but guilty of abusing a corpse.

Brooke Skylar Richardson,20 was found not guilty of aggravated murder,involutary manslaughter and child endangerment.she will be sentenced today for abuse of a corpse and faces a year in prison.

Richardson delivered the baby at home in her bedroom the night of may 7th 2017 when she was 18.2 months later the skeletal remains in a shallow grave with a flower placed on top were found by investigators.

Full story on CNN


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Fnord
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13 Sep 2019, 8:28 am

Link to CNN Story

Richardson showed up at her doctor's office -- where she'd previously taken a pregnancy test -- without a baby. When the doctor asked, she burst into tears and said the baby she had named "Annabelle" was not alive at childbirth and she'd buried her in the backyard. The sheriff's office started an investigation that led to the remains two months after the baby was born. Investigators found the skeletal remains in a shallow grave with a flower on top placed by Richardson.

There was no evidence the baby was born alive -- this alone lends "reasonable doubt" to the prosecution's case. Richardson (the only known witness) has maintained that Annabelle was not moving or breathing when she was born.


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vermontsavant
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13 Sep 2019, 8:45 am

Fnord wrote:
Link to CNN Story

Richardson showed up at her doctor's office -- where she'd previously taken a pregnancy test -- without a baby. When the doctor asked, she burst into tears and said the baby she had named "Annabelle" was not alive at childbirth and she'd buried her in the backyard. The sheriff's office started an investigation that led to the remains two months after the baby was born. Investigators found the skeletal remains in a shallow grave with a flower on top placed by Richardson.

There was no evidence the baby was born alive -- this alone lends "reasonable doubt" to the prosecution's case. Richardson (the only known witness) has maintained that Annabelle was not moving or breathing when she was born.
thanks for posting the link.I suck with computers I dont know how to post links.Its a long conplex story and its hard to know what really happened,that is likely why they aquited on the more serious charges


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Fnord
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13 Sep 2019, 8:55 am

You're welcome, V.S.

"Reasonable Doubt" must be considered in all criminal cases, especially when there are no witnesses (other than the accused), and there is little or no material evidence to be found.


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vermontsavant
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13 Sep 2019, 9:07 am

Fnord wrote:
You're welcome, V.S.

"Reasonable Doubt" must be considered in all criminal cases, especially when there are no witnesses (other than the accused), and there is little or no material evidence to be found.
I am also sure the fact that she confessed to her doctor went a long way as far as credibility with the jury


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13 Sep 2019, 9:11 am

vermontsavant wrote:
I am also sure the fact that she confessed to her doctor went a long way as far as credibility with the jury
I agree. Now let's see how the Conservative Right tries to spin this.


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13 Sep 2019, 9:43 am

Fnord wrote:
vermontsavant wrote:
I am also sure the fact that she confessed to her doctor went a long way as far as credibility with the jury
I agree. Now let's see how the Conservative Right tries to spin this.


I would imagine they would say something like those who are pro-abortion should not have a problem with a mother killing her baby right after it is born.

As for burying a stillborn baby I personally see no problem with it, except that proper channels were not followed. I would say at most she should get a year's probation, but really should be a suspended sentence.



kraftiekortie
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13 Sep 2019, 10:01 am

No....nobody would tolerate somebody killing a baby after the baby is born alive. That would be murder under all jurisdictions.

This baby was apparently stillborn. The mother made the mistake of not reporting the baby stillborn and burying it on her own.

I'm sure the mother has been through enough. I hope she is granted leniency.



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13 Sep 2019, 10:37 am

kraftiekortie wrote:
No....nobody would tolerate somebody killing a baby after the baby is born alive. That would be murder under all jurisdictions.


I think to conservatives abortion is just as bad.



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14 Sep 2019, 11:19 am

UPDATE

Brooke Richardson has been sentenced to time served on the" abuse of a corpse" conviction.Her parents will take her to the hospital before they go home because she hasn't been eating.

USA TODAY


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14 Sep 2019, 11:43 am

My opinions here are based on what I read in this article.

Quote:
Prosecutors said when the doctor asked, she burst into tears and said the baby was not alive at childbirth and she'd buried her in the backyard.


Prosecutors painted a picture of a teen who was in a new relationship at the time and wanted nothing to do with the baby or the man who impregnated her. They alleged she killed the baby after she gave birth in the middle of the night, believing she'd have no future as a mother.


So because she was sad she had a stillborn and thought she could bury her own child in her backyard and make it pretty, doctors had to make the worst assumption without any evidence? Has it ever occurred that maybe her family can't afford funeral costs and burial? She isn't the first person to bury their own loved one in their yard.

Bravo, now they have made other new moms afraid to report their baby dead when they deliver it at home and it's a stillborn. The only mistake she made was not reporting her child to pronounce it dead after giving birth. I guess this also applies to stillborns too.


Quote:
"Upon finding out that she was pregnant by a boy she had nothing to do with, Brooke Richardson burst into tears and told her doctor that she could not have this baby," Prosecutor Steve Knippen told jurors, according to the station.


So they thought this was evidence she killed her child?

Quote:
It said prosecutors showed the court a picture of her at the gym hours after giving birth and said she sent a message to her mother.
"My belly is back, OMG. I am never, ever, ever, ever letting it get like this again. You're about to see me looking freaking better than before, OMG," the text message said, according to Knippen.



So because she was happy to have her body back and bounce back after having the baby, this is a indication she killed her baby? I was pretty happy when I got my body back too so quickly too. :? How many other mothers out there have thought they are never doing this again after they have their baby?



Quote:
Her defense team said there was no evidence the baby was born alive. Richardson has maintained that Annabelle was not moving or breathing when she was born, her defense team said.


So why is she still going to jail for one year? For not reporting her baby dead? For burying it without any burial costs?


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14 Sep 2019, 12:26 pm

League_Girl wrote:
My opinions here are based on what I read in this article.

Quote:
Prosecutors said when the doctor asked, she burst into tears and said the baby was not alive at childbirth and she'd buried her in the backyard.


Prosecutors painted a picture of a teen who was in a new relationship at the time and wanted nothing to do with the baby or the man who impregnated her. They alleged she killed the baby after she gave birth in the middle of the night, believing she'd have no future as a mother.


So because she was sad she had a stillborn and thought she could bury her own child in her backyard and make it pretty, doctors had to make the worst assumption without any evidence? Has it ever occurred that maybe her family can't afford funeral costs and burial? She isn't the first person to bury their own loved one in their yard.

Bravo, now they have made other new moms afraid to report their baby dead when they deliver it at home and it's a stillborn. The only mistake she made was not reporting her child to pronounce it dead after giving birth. I guess this also applies to stillborns too.


Quote:
"Upon finding out that she was pregnant by a boy she had nothing to do with, Brooke Richardson burst into tears and told her doctor that she could not have this baby," Prosecutor Steve Knippen told jurors, according to the station.


So they thought this was evidence she killed her child?

Quote:
It said prosecutors showed the court a picture of her at the gym hours after giving birth and said she sent a message to her mother.
"My belly is back, OMG. I am never, ever, ever, ever letting it get like this again. You're about to see me looking freaking better than before, OMG," the text message said, according to Knippen.



So because she was happy to have her body back and bounce back after having the baby, this is a indication she killed her baby? I was pretty happy when I got my body back too so quickly too. :? How many other mothers out there have thought they are never doing this again after they have their baby?



Quote:
Her defense team said there was no evidence the baby was born alive. Richardson has maintained that Annabelle was not moving or breathing when she was born, her defense team said.


So why is she still going to jail for one year? For not reporting her baby dead? For burying it without any burial costs?
She faced up to 1 year,She was sentenced to time served on the "abuse of a corpse" conviction.


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14 Sep 2019, 6:07 pm

vermontsavant wrote:
League_Girl wrote:
My opinions here are based on what I read in this article.

Quote:
Prosecutors said when the doctor asked, she burst into tears and said the baby was not alive at childbirth and she'd buried her in the backyard.


Prosecutors painted a picture of a teen who was in a new relationship at the time and wanted nothing to do with the baby or the man who impregnated her. They alleged she killed the baby after she gave birth in the middle of the night, believing she'd have no future as a mother.


So because she was sad she had a stillborn and thought she could bury her own child in her backyard and make it pretty, doctors had to make the worst assumption without any evidence? Has it ever occurred that maybe her family can't afford funeral costs and burial? She isn't the first person to bury their own loved one in their yard.

Bravo, now they have made other new moms afraid to report their baby dead when they deliver it at home and it's a stillborn. The only mistake she made was not reporting her child to pronounce it dead after giving birth. I guess this also applies to stillborns too.


Quote:
"Upon finding out that she was pregnant by a boy she had nothing to do with, Brooke Richardson burst into tears and told her doctor that she could not have this baby," Prosecutor Steve Knippen told jurors, according to the station.


So they thought this was evidence she killed her child?

Quote:
It said prosecutors showed the court a picture of her at the gym hours after giving birth and said she sent a message to her mother.
"My belly is back, OMG. I am never, ever, ever, ever letting it get like this again. You're about to see me looking freaking better than before, OMG," the text message said, according to Knippen.



So because she was happy to have her body back and bounce back after having the baby, this is a indication she killed her baby? I was pretty happy when I got my body back too so quickly too. :? How many other mothers out there have thought they are never doing this again after they have their baby?



Quote:
Her defense team said there was no evidence the baby was born alive. Richardson has maintained that Annabelle was not moving or breathing when she was born, her defense team said.


So why is she still going to jail for one year? For not reporting her baby dead? For burying it without any burial costs?
She faced up to 1 year,She was sentenced to time served on the "abuse of a corpse" conviction.


Not sure how burying a corpse is 'abuse' so that charge seems weird.


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15 Sep 2019, 4:25 pm

She placed a flower on the body,so I’d guess she felt some sorrow.She didn’t toss the baby in a dumpster,which would be the act of a remorseless person who considered the child trash.It would have been better to have reported it so the fathers family wouldn’t be so upset.Also there will be people that will always wonder if she killed the baby or was it really stillborn.


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15 Sep 2019, 7:20 pm

People have to report the death of another person for various reasons......some of which have to do with health.