Cheerleader Accused of Murdering Newborn Admitted, 'I Didn’t Really Want to Have My Baby'
An Ohio woman accused of killing and burying her newborn daughter admitted to police she didn’t want to have her baby — and begged her parents for forgiveness during a police interview.
Brooke Skylar Richardson is accused of killing and burying her newborn daughter in her backyard in July 2017. Prosecutors allege that she did not want to be an 18-year-old single mom. Richardson’s attorneys argued that the baby was stillborn and didn’t meet the legal criteria to be considered a child.
Richardson, now 20, is facing trial for aggravated murder, involuntary manslaughter, gross abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and child endangerment. She has pleaded not guilty.
In court on Thursday afternoon, prosecutors played a recording of a police interview that Richardson gave in 2017. She told police that she didn’t return her doctor’s phone calls because she was scared. “I didn’t really want to have my baby,” she allegedly told police. “I really don’t know what I planned to do.”
She also told police that she looked into an abortion, but it was too late to have one. She denied that she performed an abortion on herself.
While Richardson was talking to police, other officers were searching the family’s property. They said they found the remains of a newborn girl in Richardson’s backyard — then arrested the teen on multiple charges.
In court on Thursday, jurors heard the police interview, followed by a conversation between Richardson and her parents where she begged for their forgiveness.
When her parents walked into the interview room, Richardson addressed her mother. “Mommy,” she said, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I’m so sorry, mommy.”
Her parents hugged her. “You should have just told us,” her father said. “Kids get pregnant every day,” her mother added. “Pregnancy is not the end of the world.”
“Mom, do you have any idea how I feel?” Richardson asked. Her mother replied, “Do you have any idea how we feel?”
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Prosecutors allege that she intentionally killed her baby. They allege that she searched “how do I get rid of a baby” upon finding out she was pregnant.
Richardson’s attorneys have repeatedly admitted she buried the child’s remains in her parents’ backyard — but they say she only did so after the baby was stillborn and she didn’t know what to do with the remains.
Prosecutor David Fornshell said that they will show police interviews to the jury that “fully support the charges against Richardson.”
Testimony in the case resumes on Friday.
