The Case Against Brooke Skylar Richardson

. Investigators were tipped off about the possible remains buried in the back of this house here behind me. Brooke Schuyler Richardson had a promising future. The prosecutor says she gave birth in the family home and then killed her baby. Is there a way to describe this past year? The worst nightmare. Purgatory. Every day. The Carlisle teen is charged with killing her newborn baby. I can tell you that Brooke, Skylar Richardson, did not kill her baby. I don't know when it hit me, but I was a grandmother and I never had any of the benefits of it. our lives have been completely turned upside down. What was the reaction to this story? How big did this become? I felt like Super Bowl level. It was like the world stopped. Everyone wanted to know what was going on in our backyard and what had happened. The sidewalk was lined with people sitting in lawn chairs. Oh, you're serious, right? Out here? Out here. We have no privacy. We're followed, stalked. Facebook, to me, turned into hate book. I did not know she was pregnant. Here's her track photo. This was track season in April. And you can't tell. I mean, we missed everything. We missed everything. We thought we were doing the right thing by cooperating. I do not try and kill my baby. That turned out to be the absolute wrong thing. She faces charges of aggravated murder, involuntary manslaughter, endangering children. Are you scared? I'm very scared. I mean, we're scared to death talking to you because we don't want things to come across wrong. This is the case of the state of Ohio versus Brooks Island Richardson. The defendant, Brooke Richardson, murdered a baby that she didn't want and never intended to keep. This case is about a rush to judgment. She had a stillborn, and she made a poor choice after that. Not telling anyone and burying the baby. The court has been advised that we have a verdict. Are we ready for the jury? Yes, sir. Would the defendant please rise? What's your biggest fear at this point? guilty conviction. This is the case of the state of Ohio versus Brooke Schuyler Richardson, case number 2017. Nothing has polarized Ohio's Warren County more than the trial of Brooke Schuyler Richardson. Do you feel that Schuyler's ever gotten the presumption of innocence? Absolutely not. Now 20 years old, Brooke, known as Skylar, is accused of killing her newborn daughter. If convicted, she could spend the rest of her life in prison. It's just changed our lives forever. For more than a year, Skylar's parents, Kim and Scott Richardson, gave us unique access to their story. But on the advice of their lawyers, Skylar couldn't talk to us. It's so hard. To be living like this, thinking, but what if? A lot of what ifs. A lot of what ifs. In 2017, the Richardsons were living the good life in Carlisle, Ohio. Population, 5,000. It's Mayberry. Small town. USA. I mean... It's so small town, most people don't leave. Their kids excelled in school and sports. Son Jackson plays on the football team. Skyler was a cheerleader. But behind the smiling photographs, the family was struggling with a serious issue. Skyler's eating disorder. How much do you think her weight and eating ruled her life? Oh, 95%. That is her life. This is her at a very scary point. Oh, my gosh. Kim says she first noticed a problem when her cheerleader daughter was in the sixth grade. Twelve years old, she wouldn't buy gum because it had five calories. I didn't even know gum had calories. She was so tiny, she was a perfect flyer. You do a stunt in the air, or you hold a very difficult stretching pose for a few seconds, and then come back down to the ground. But it also meant she had to be easy to lift and catch. Kim says it was the beginning of Skylar's battle with her weight. How would she lose the weight? She would throw up. And when cheerleading was over for the season, Skylar would binge, then starve again. Did you get afraid to even talk about her weight? She definitely would shut down if you mentioned it to her. The Richardson's say they tried everything. Doctors, therapists, nutritionists. Skylar was diagnosed with body dysmorphia, a mental disorder involving an obsessive focus on a perceived flaw in appearance. Nothing helped. She's very guarded. Keep a lot of secrets? Yes. So many. And we don't know what they are. And I don't know that we ever will. In late July 2016, the summer before her senior year, Skylar began dating a friend's cousin. The relationship ended quickly, and by January 2017, Skylar had a new boyfriend, a high school junior named Brandon. Why did those two click? What is it? I don't know, because she's this tall and he's that tall. Skylar was happy. She even seemed to be putting on some weight. Kim and Scott hoped their daughter's eating disorder was finally under control. We were actually pleased that she was finally gaining some weight. She looked healthy. A month later, she eagerly picked out her prom dress. And it was a tight-fitting dress that she needed to be laced up in. And then in late March, Skyler went on vacation with her family. She wore a two-piece. I told her she looked great. I mean, for the first time in my life, I thought, she's healthy. She's in a healthy relationship. She really cares about Brandon. I could tell that she did. Kim knew Skylar's relationship with Brandon was heating up. That's why I wanted her to be on the pill. So in late April, Skylar went to her mother's gynecologist to get a prescription for birth control. She had just turned 18, so Kim waited outside. She came out. She had clearly been crying. Did you ask her why she was crying? It was traumatic. She goes, your first appointment is. And I'm like, yeah, it is, as a female. The real reason for the tears? The doctor had told Skylar she was pregnant eight months. She asked him not to tell anyone. She never said anything to either one of you about what the doctor told her? No. Nine days later, on May 5th, Skylar and Brandon went to the prom. Despite being late into her pregnancy, she fit into her gown. She's wearing the same dress that she had tried on in February. Purchased February 15th. I have side by side put the pictures together, and I look at the pictures and I'm like, they're almost identical. They're identical. But less than 48 hours later, in the early morning hours of May 7th, something happened that turned the Richardson's life upside down. It remained Skyler's secret for more than two months when police suddenly showed up at the Richardson's home. And they said, hey, we just need to talk to your daughter about something she may have witnessed. She's not in any trouble. We just need to talk to her. Taking them at their word, Scott drove his daughter to the police station. I mean, honestly, I can look back. That's the biggest mistake I've made in my entire life. On July 14, 2017, when Scott Richardson drove his daughter Skyler to the Carlisle police station. He had no idea that she had been keeping a secret. If she's going in to talk to the police, do you know what it's about? No, I have no idea. Lieutenant John Fane, who at the time was with the Warren County Sheriff's Office, wanted to question 18-year-old Skyler about a call they'd received. There's an allegation from an OBGYN office that a patient there had delivered a baby at home, subsequently buried her in her backyard. Skylar was put in an interrogation room Her father wasn allowed in with her Do you have the right to remain silent As Faye read Skylar her rights. Do you have the right to talk to Laurie? And then began pressing her. A camera was recording everything. We got a call from the doctor's office, okay? And according to them, on April 26th, you found out you were pregnant. Remember, that was the same day Skylar went to see the gynecologist about getting birth control pills. More than two months later, she returned. Skylar told investigators that in the early morning hours of May 7, 2017, she gave birth to a stillborn baby in her bathroom. She just kind of came out and I tried. I tried. I tried to order. She's breathing. She doesn't have a heartbeat. So now, what do you do when you realize that she's not going to make it? I have to bury her. I couldn't tell anybody. Without waking anyone, Skylar said she silently walked downstairs, got a small garden trowel, and then dug a shallow grave in her backyard. After about 45 minutes of questioning, Lieutenant Vane told Skyler's anxious parents the real reason he brought in their daughter. Shock. I couldn't feel my body. I could not get up. How could that happen? I've seen her every day. I look at her. I talk to her. I hug her. Thane then gave the Richardsons some time alone with their daughter, never mentioning that the camera was rolling. I'm going to step out. And capturing this deeply personal moment. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, mommy. I'm sorry. You should have just told her. Skylar told her parents that she named her baby Annabelle and that the baby's father was that friend's cousin she dated very briefly before Brandon. I can't imagine the pain. It breaks my heart to think about her laying in bed, being scared, not being able to come down and tell me what had just happened. With the Richardsons still at the police station coming to terms with their new reality, Investigators descended on their home in search of human remains Soon, Skyler's once closely held secret Investigators were tipped off about the... Was shared with everyone in town Buried in the back of this house After more than five hours, Skyler and her parents were allowed to go home You guys are good to go Thank you But six days later, Lieutenant Fane called, asking Skylar to come in again. I was told she's not in any trouble. It's not a life-changing situation. This time, Fane was accompanied by Detective Brandi Carter. Hi, John. I'm Brandi. And they had new damaging information from the coroner's office. We know there's some war that happened than what you shared the other day. Okay. Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a forensic anthropologist who analyzed the remains, reported there was evidence that the baby's bones may have been burned. So she was under the belief that the baby had been set on fire. What was your reaction when you heard that? I was surprised. Fane began to think Skylar must be lying about everything and was determined to get her to admit to killing the baby and then burning the remains in order to hide the evidence. There's some evidence to show that there was some burning on her. Did it burn her? I promised not anything. I didn't burn her. I swear on anything. But Skylar is clearly confused. Anything. Was there any reason? She denied setting a fire. No, and I did nothing with fire. Nothing. A total of 17 times. Any reason for any of that? No. In your head, you're thinking, this young woman is lying to me. Yes, because they had told us certainly. With scientific certainty, there was the fire. Maybe it just was one of those things where you just thought, like a cremation, like I'm going to have some ashes that I can keep of my daughter. Suddenly, Skylar changed her story. Tell me everything that you were thinking and everything you did. I had a life, baby. It didn't stop there. Did you hear anything like little gurgle sounds? Skylar also made the startling admission that the baby might have been born alive. How did you know at first, you know, that she was probably alive just a little bit? Well, I think she might have heard a noise, maybe a little noise, a gurgle. When she said that she might have heard a gurgle, the gurgle came from you guys first, right? That word, yes. I said that word first. At the end of that hour-long interrogation, detectives had enough to arrest the 18-year-old on a charge of reckless homicide. Their theory was that she had suffocated the baby. A distraught Skyler told her parents what she told police. I tried to cremate the baby just a little. You tried to cremate the baby? Yeah, I did it. Brooke Richardson is in the Warren County Jail tonight. Skyler made bail. Just two weeks later, the case was presented to a grand jury who indicted her on a new devastating set of charges. Skyler was arrested again. Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell. Count one of that indictment is for aggravated murder. Aggravated murder, a charge that carries a mandatory life sentence in Ohio. The other charges, involuntary manslaughter, endangering children, and abuse of a corpse. Fornchell left no doubt that he had the evidence. The general allegations against her are that she did give birth to a newborn infant. She caused the death of that infant, burned the infant, and buried the infant. The motive, says Fornchell, a baby wouldn't fit into Skyler's life. Skyler and her family were pretty obsessed with external appearances. You're describing a spoiled, self-entitled teenager who was more worried about vanity than keeping the life of a baby alive. Those are your words. There's no way she would ever hurt anyone. I would stake my life on it. Despite Skyler's incriminating statements, Kim and Scott say they intend to prove Skyler is innocent. with the help of these two attorneys. The prosecutor is trying to say that Skylar Richardson was a cold-blooded killer. And it's quite a leap once all the evidence is in. Skylar Richardson in handcuffs entered a plea of not guilty during her arraignment on five charges, including aggravated murder. Skylar spent the weekend in jail until her family could come up with a $50,000 bond. It was a surreal experience for her parents. It was her physically, but when you looked at her face, she had checked out. Skyler emerged into a tabloid firestorm. Following the prosecutor's sensational press conference, the court imposed a gag order, but the damage had already been done. We know a lot more tonight about the Carlisle teen mom. now accused of the horrific crime of killing her newborn and then burning the baby's body. On social media, Skylar and her family were vilified. In some ways, is this like kind of the modern Salem witch trials? Yes, very. Every move we make, everything we do, we're judged, we're followed, stalked. We were crucified, and that's putting it mildly. Outside the Warren County Courthouse today, protesters stood with signs calling for justice for baby Carlisle. Justice for your baby. What are your baby's boys? They would take turns sitting out in front of our house and they would set up a schedule to watch our comings and goings. I would see pictures of myself out on my back deck. There were threats and a constant drumbeat of vitriol. It became difficult for the family to even leave the house. People would claim to know us. They would take any picture that they could find of Skylar, and they would paste pictures of baby's faces in it. And they found a picture of her with a shovel, and they posted some little baby's face in it. Prominent local defense attorneys Charlie M. Rickers and his father, Charlie H., say this is a case of a false confession. I can tell you that Brooke, Skylar Richardson, did not kill her baby. And then, as both sides prepared for trial, Dr. Elizabeth Murray, the forensic anthropologist who reported the remains were burned, retracted her initial assessment after taking another look at the bones She now said they showed no sign whatsoever of incineration or burning And now every doctor in the case including the state own doctor agree that that was a false opinion And yet nothing changed in the prosecutor's approach. Because in the interrogation, Skyler admitted that she tried to cremate the remains, Fornchel refuses to back down or correct the record. Part of the reason why I think the indictment was so severe is because the first anthropologist in this case came to an opinion that she has now retracted. But has that affected the way people see this case? Absolutely. The jury pool's been tainted, and now this poor girl, our client Skyler, who was 18 years old at the time, is facing life in prison. Skyler was fitted with an ankle bracelet and placed under house arrest. She spent much of her time reading books and hanging out with her dogs. In the backyard under a pine tree, her parents placed an angel ornament to mark the spot where Skylar once buried the baby she called Annabelle. She did what she thought she needed to do. Maybe outside looking in, that was wrong, but in her mind, she just delivered a stillborn baby. She gently laid the baby down in the ground. She didn't have a casket. She buried the baby and laid a flower over top of it. She put a vase as a marker. You can see it from her window. As 12 months passed, Skyler's plans to attend the University of Cincinnati were put on hold. She can't get a job. She can't go to school. The defense filed a motion to move the trial to a different county, but the request was denied. They've not listened to anything that Charlie and the team have put together and taken them into consideration. It's just all very cold and hard. Then, in July 2019, the state approached Schuyler's lawyers with an unexpected offer. The prosecutor told Charlie, I will take aggravated murder off if you plea to the rest of them, which still could have been 15 years. Faced with the possibility of life without parole, the Richardsons knew they had a terrible dilemma. But in the end, the decision was Skyler's to make. It was a Sunday morning, and she woke up, and I can still see her sitting on the couch, and she goes, I'm not going to play to something that I didn't do. And in my heart, I got sick, but it has to be her decision. end of day, she has to live with this. That's got to be, though, weighing on both of you. The idea that whether she goes to prison for the rest of her life is in your hands. It's quite a burden. There's no way that she would harm her baby. No way. On September 3rd, 2019, despite concerns of a tainted jury pool, A 12-person jury is seated after a single day of voir dire. Assistant prosecuting attorney Stephen Knippen delivered his opening statement with a jaw-dropping quote from a text that Skylar Richardson sent to her mom. I'm literally speechless with how happy I am. My belly is back, OMG. and I'm never, ever, ever, ever letting it get like this again. Those are the words that Brooke Richardson texted to her mother just hours after she murdered her infant daughter in the middle of the night and buried her lifeless body in the dirt behind their home. With the possibility that Skyler's own words will be her undoing, Her family wondered if they made a tragic mistake by not accepting the deal they were offered. But does that scare the two of you? Yes. She did ask me, am I doing the right thing? It is not hard to destroy a college. Last season, the podcast Campus Files brought you stories of fraternity drug rings, stolen body parts, campus cults, and more. And now Campus Files is back for another season. There's a guy screaming into his phone. He's like, I just saw Charlie Kirk just assassinated right in front of me. Every week is a new episode and a new story. It was so chaotic. It's almost like a university on a siege. Listen to and follow Campus Files. Available now wherever you get your podcasts. For more than two years, Skylar Richardson and her family have been bracing for her trial. I wake up in the morning. Thank God each day it's another day that I at least get to see her and touch her. The stress and uncertainty have taken a toll. Skylar, still battling an eating disorder, is virtually wasting away. How's Skylar? Not good. She's about 90 pounds and she wears kids' clothes. She has no clothes for court, everything. We have to pin everything on her, kind of like sew her in her clothes. But what doctors say is an illness the state characterizes as vanity. Prosecutor Stephen Knippen quotes from a text Skylar sent her mom just hours after giving birth. You're about to see me looking freaking better than before. OMG. And there's this selfie that Skyler took at the gym that same afternoon. Her actions and her statements demonstrate that she had no intention of having this baby. Prosecutors admit they cannot prove the baby was born alive. But Knippen tells the jury that Skyler herself admitted it. During this interview, Brooke admitted the following. She saw her daughter's arms moving a little, heard her gurgle, and heard her cry. She also told investigators that she might have held her baby, quote, too tight. And that's not all. She attempted to burn the baby after her death in an effort to cremate her. But defense attorney Charlie M. Rickers says Skyler just told the police what they wanted to hear. We know that the police were able to break her down and make her vulnerable and admit to something that is scientifically impossible. Burning of a baby. This doctor many weeks later said I was wrong. They disregarded any truth and they said, well, Skyler said it. We'll just keep going. We'll just keep moving forward. The state calls Dr. Susan Brown, the assistant Warren County coroner who performed the autopsy on the baby's remains. Do you have an opinion as to the cause of baby Richardson's death? Yes. Homicidal violence of undetermined etiology. But when cross-examined by the defense, Dr. Brown concedes there's no physical evidence that Skylar killed her baby or that the baby was even born alive. You cannot tell us to any reasonable degree of scientific certainty that Annabelle was born alive. Is that correct? Based on just the autopsy examination alone, I cannot determine whether it was a live birth. In fact, under cross-examination, witness after witness called by the state concede there is no physical evidence of a live birth or any trauma or burning of the baby's bones. The only evidence comes from Skylar. I tried to clean up the baby just a little. So if Skylar is convicted, she could be convicted on what she said rather than what she did? Exactly. Did you hear her cry? But why would Skylar kill her own child? Prosecutors say she never wanted the baby, and they point to text messages she sent her mother in the days leading up to prom, as Skylar's biggest concern seemed to be fitting into her dress. Skylar, I'm just in freak-out mode. I want to look amazing again more than anything. I hate being like this so much. And there are those texts Skyler sent after giving birth. I am literally so excited now just for dinner to wear something cute. Yay. My belly is back. But when the defense begins its case, obstetrician Dr. John White takes the stand and tells the jury he believes the baby was not alive at birth. She delivered a stillbirth infant in the bathroom. Skyler told investigators that she never cut an umbilical cord, suggesting to Dr. White that the cord may have become detached sometime before or during birth. He also says Skyler's description of the baby's appearance is significant. She described Annabelle's appearance as being really white. And in my experience, when you deliver a healthy newborn, they're almost purple. Dr. White points out that Skyler only gained 15 pounds during the course of her pregnancy. Here she is at three months, and again at seven and a half months, and then again in May less than two days before giving birth According to Dr White Skyler eating disorder may have restricted the baby development in the womb. Fetal growth restriction increases the risks of intrauterine demise or neonatal death. Later, an expert on police interviews explains to the jury how certain police tactics can result in false confessions. And certain people are more susceptible, says clinical psychologist Dr. Stuart Bassman, who spent hours interviewing Skylar. It is my opinion that Skylar Richardson suffers from a mental disorder that predisposes her to comply to people in authority. What stands out to me about what transpired in the interrogation was a clear sense of intimidating, attempting to convince Skyler to implant a memory that would incriminate her. But Lieutenant John Fain says that's not what happened. I don't feel that there was something so powerful or this strong coercion that people are alluding to that's going to get someone to admit to do things that didn't happen. You're two authority figures. She's in a closed room. She doesn't have an attorney. She doesn't have her parents. How do you know the baby was alive just a little bit? The Annabelle was alive a little bit. I saw her arm maybe a little bit. Moving on. You don't think it's possible that she might have just said that because it would please you. You don't think that. I don't think any answers that she gave in that interrogation, any answer was with the goal of pleasing us. No, I do not think that. A week after the trial started, without Skyler ever taking the stand, the prosecution and the defense make their final appeals to the jury. Assistant Prosecutor Julie Kraft. Unwanted. That's what Brooke Richardson's daughter was. unwanted. To outside observers, Brooke Richardson had the perfect life. She grew up in a small town. She was a cheerleader for the high school football team. She obsessed over her appearance, and she was determined to maintain that perfect life at all costs. First instruction, and we've heard a lot about it, is burden of proof. The defendant is presumed innocent until guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt. And it's their burden. It's the prosecutor's burden. If you have a reason to doubt the live burden, you have to fight for Scott. After all the turmoil and high-stakes drama, the case is now in the hands of jurors. Four hours later, they reach a verdict. Are we ready for the jury? Yes, sir. Would the defendant please rise? With regard to count one, we, the jury in the above caption case, find the defendant. On September 12, 2019, Skylar waits for the jury of seven women and five men to decide her future. It's completely out of your control at that point. we just didn't know. And that's the scariest thing. Would the jury believe Skylar confessed to a murder? Or would they think she had been pushed into making false statements? What's the biggest fear right now? That we can't prove that she's innocent, too. I mean, that's the hardest thing. No one expects a quick verdict. But then just four hours later, Kim and Scott Richardson return to Judge Oda's packed courtroom with their daughter, Skyler. I almost had to hold her up to walk back because she was a nervous wreck. I wasn't even sure what to say. I mean, hard to say, honey, it's going to be okay when you don't know. All right, ma'am, has the jury reached a verdict in the case? I can see the juror with the envelope, and I'm like thinking that's my daughter's life. I mean, I am just praying, not guilty, not guilty, not guilty. We, the jury in the above caption case, find the defendant, Brooke Skyler Richardson, not guilty of the offense of aggravated murder. Not guilty of aggravated murder. Not guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Not guilty of child endangerment. Skylar, so stoic at trial, is overwhelmed. I just wanted to fall to my knees. She did the right thing by not taking the plea. I just wanted to be like, you were right. We felt free. But because Skyler buried Annabelle in the backyard, she is convicted of gross abuse of a corpse. That felony carries up to a year in prison. The judge orders Skyler held in jail until sentencing. Her parents watch in shock as Skyler is led away in handcuffs. Following the verdict, District Attorney David Fornchell denied that he pursued a case with insufficient evidence. Brooke Richardson created the situation that prevented us from being able to conduct an autopsy on that baby girl. And in a sense, it feels like that she's been rewarded. Do you think you are owed an apology by the DA? Honestly, I don't care if I ever see him again in my life. It's pretty clear at this point, they didn't make the right decision. And they, it was almost like they were incapable of admitting they made a mistake. Do you think the jurors, by this verdict, were obviously able to discount what Skyler said in both interrogations? We knew that most people think, well, I would never admit to something. I didn't do. And I think our jury at least got to hear a little bit about false confessions that helped them decide this case. One day after the verdict, Skyler is back in court for sentencing. Is there anything that you want to tell me before I impose a sentence? Thank you, Your Honor. And for the first time, she publicly speaks. And I just wanted to say how sorry I was. I can sometimes be selfish, but I would like to think that I've become better in the knowledge that I've upset everyone and hurt so many people with what I've done. And I'm forever sorry, and I'm so sorry. I'm really, really sorry, and I understand. And thank you. Seemingly unmoved, Judge Oda delivers a stern message. I firmly believe, Ms. Richardson, in fact, I know in my heart that if you would have made different decisions in this case, Annabelle would be here today. But I think that your choices before birth, during birth, and after show a grotesque disregard for life. Skyler is sentenced to three years of probation, a far cry from life in prison. What does this now mean for the family? It's a relief that it's over. They now know that they don't have to worry about losing their daughter. Now they can plan for the future. Before she will tell you, I had nothing to live for. Nothing. She was too scared to look that far ahead. Too scared. Too scared to dream. Is she going to sneak you some ham? Tell me who you see now. She's grown up a lot. She's got a resiliency, some inner strength that, you know, you always hope it's there. You just got to let it come out. She's a great kid. And hopefully she's going to bow to the back from this. And I think she will. In September 2019, Skylar entered into an eating disorder treatment program. It's a lifelong illness. She'll have this all of her life. But we can do this. But Kim and Scott Richardson will also have to grapple with the mistakes they made and lives that will never be quite the same. Do you come out here a lot? Yeah, I do, to visit. The angel still marks the site where Annabelle once was. It's heartbreaking, but this is all we have. That's all we have. Sometimes I just need to feel close to her. And I always tell her that, you know, she's loved, and she would have been loved, and she's always in our hearts. Following the verdict, Annabelle's remains were returned to the Richardson family.