The Case Against Brooke Skylar Richardson

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "48 Hours" – The Case Against Brooke Skylar Richardson

Host: CBS News
Episode Date: April 2, 2026
Main Theme:
An in-depth exploration of the Brooke Skylar Richardson case—a young Ohio woman accused and tried for the murder of her newborn. The episode follows the events from the shocking allegations and intensive police investigation, through interrogation and a polarizing trial, and to the verdict and its aftermath. The story is told through emotional interviews, legal insights, and key moments from the investigation.

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Episode Overview

This episode investigates the 2017 case of Brooke Skylar Richardson, an 18-year-old from small-town Ohio charged with killing her newborn daughter. Through unique access to the Richardson family, legal professionals, and key witnesses, "48 Hours" lays out the facts, missteps, emotional turmoil, and legal proceedings that captivated and divided a community. The episode examines the reliability of confessions, the impact of mental health on justice, community reactions, and the difficulties of separating truth from presumption in the age of social media.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Skylar’s Secret and Family Struggle (00:13 - 08:41)

• Investigators discover potential infant remains at the Richardson family home, shocking the small town of Carlisle, Ohio.
• Kim Richardson (Skylar's mother) recounts feeling lost:
  “The worst nightmare? Purgatory.” (00:34)
• Skylar’s eating disorder shaped much of her life—a longstanding struggle narrated by her family.
  “Oh, 95%. That is her life. This is her at a very scary point.” — Kim Richardson (04:48)
• Family had no knowledge of her pregnancy; Skylar was on the verge of adulthood, planning for prom, and was thought to be gaining healthy weight.

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2. Discovery, Investigation & Interrogation (08:41 - 17:23)

• Skylar’s visit to a gynecologist for birth control led to learning she was eight months pregnant; she begged the doctor not to tell her family.
• On May 5, 2017, Skylar attended prom. Less than 48 hours later, she gave birth alone at home.
• Skylar told investigators she delivered a stillborn baby and quietly buried her in the backyard, naming her Annabelle.
• The Richardson family was blindsided by the police investigation.
  “I can look back. That's the biggest mistake I've made in my entire life.” — Scott Richardson, about taking Skylar to the police (09:17)

Interrogation:

• Police made serious allegations after initial medical analysis suggested burning of bones.
• Skylar, under intense police questioning, initially denied—but finally stated she tried to “cremate the baby.” Later, forensic testimony would reveal no evidence of burning.

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3. Media Frenzy, Community Outrage, and Legal Strategy (19:44 - 22:36)

• The case swept local and national news, with the Richardsons facing hostility and threats from the public.
• Kim describes the house besieged by onlookers and constant online vitriol.
  “Facebook to me turned into hatebook.” (01:28)
• The defense posited a coerced, false confession, further reinforced when Dr. Elizabeth Murray retracted her initial claim that the baby's bones were burned.
• Despite this retraction, prosecution maintained charges and public opinion remained harsh:
  “Our client Skylar, who was 18 at the time, is facing life in prison.” — Defense (22:25)

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4. The Events Leading to Trial — Mental Health and Legal Dilemmas (22:36 - 26:04)

• Skylar placed under house arrest, unable to attend university or work; her eating disorder worsened.
• The state offered to drop the aggravated murder count in exchange for a plea, but Skylar refused: “I'm not going to plea to something that I didn't do.” — Skylar, as remembered by Kim Richardson (24:19)
• Jury selection began amid fears of bias due to widespread media coverage.

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5. The Trial: Evidence, Confession, and Motive (25:22 - 32:25)

• The prosecution’s case hinged on Skylar’s own text messages and statements during police interrogation: “My belly is back. Omg. And I'm never, ever, ever, ever letting it get like this again.” — Text from Skylar to her mother, cited by prosecutor (25:22)
• Yet, the defense pointed out there was no physical evidence of homicide or a live birth.
  “You cannot tell us to any reasonable degree of scientific certainty that Annabelle was born alive.” — Dr. Susan Brown, Assistant Coroner (29:46)
• Experts testified about eating disorders, possible intrauterine demise, and susceptibility to coercive interrogations.
• Dr. John White (obstetrician) testified the baby likely was not alive at birth, and clinical psychologist Dr. Stuart Bassman explained that Skylar’s psychological profile increased likelihood of a false confession.

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6. Closing Arguments, Verdict & Aftermath (34:08 - 41:25)

• Neither side presented indisputable evidence of Skylar’s guilt or innocence; the jury’s decision relied heavily on interpretations of Skylar’s words.
• After four hours of deliberation:
  “We, the jury … find the defendant, Brooke Skylar Richardson, not guilty of the offense of aggravated murder.” (37:02)
• Skylar was acquitted of aggravated murder, involuntary manslaughter, and child endangerment; convicted only of gross abuse of a corpse for burying the baby.
• Judge Oda’s stern sentencing speech:
  “I firmly believe Ms. Richardson … if you would have made different decisions in this case, Annabelle would be here today … your choices before birth, during birth, and after show a grotesque disregard for life.” (39:57)
• Skylar received three years probation; no prison. The Richardson family reflected on the ordeal and the future: “She's grown up a lot. She's got a resiliency, some inner strength that, you know, you always hope is there. … She's a great kid, and hopefully she's going to bounce back from this. I think she will.” — Defense/Family Attorney (41:05)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kim Richardson on Media Frenzy:
  “I felt like Super Bowl level. It was like the world stopped. Everyone wanted to know what was going on in our backyard.” (01:04)

• Defense on False Confession:
  “We know that the police were able to break her down and make her vulnerable and admit to something that is scientifically impossible … They disregarded any truth. And they said, well, Skylar said it. We'll just keep going.” (28:47)

• Skylar’s Statement at Sentencing:
  “I can sometimes be selfish, but I would like to think that I've become better … I’m forever sorry. And I’m so sorry … and thank you.” (39:28)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Family’s Shock and Secret Pregnancy: [00:13 - 08:41]
• Police Interrogation & Confession: [10:41 - 17:23]
• Media & Community Backlash: [19:44 - 22:36]
• Plea Offer & Legal Crossroads: [23:40 - 26:04]
• Trial Evidence & Witness Testimony: [25:22 - 32:25]
• Trial Verdict & Sentencing: [34:08 - 41:25]
• Epilogue – Aftermath & Reflection: [41:25 - 42:38]

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Tone and Style

The language throughout is intense, emotional, and closely mirrors the voices of those experiencing the ordeal. The narrative alternates between legal technicality and heartwrenching family testimony, inviting listeners to weigh empathy and skepticism alike.

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Episode Takeaways

• The case against Brooke Skylar Richardson raises vital questions about the limits of confessions, the difficulty of discerning intentions vs. actions, and the danger of public judgment overwhelming fair process.
• The episode spotlights not only the tragedy at its center but also broader issues: mental illness, prosecutorial conduct, false confessions, and the scars such cases leave on individuals and communities.

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Transcript

[Kim Richardson]

Investigators were tipped off about the possible remains buried in the back of this house here behind me.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Brooke Skyler Richardson had a promising future.

[Kim Richardson]

The prosecutor says she gave birth in the family home and then killed her baby, the 18 year old.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Is there a way to describe this past year?

[Kim Richardson]

The worst nightmare? Purgatory.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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.

[Kim Richardson]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

What was the reaction to this story? How big did this become?

[Kim Richardson]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

You're serious, right out here, out here,

[Kim Richardson]

we have no privacy. We're followed, stalked, Facebook to me, turned into hatebook. I did not know she was pregnant. Here's her track photo. This was track season in April, and you can't tell.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

I mean, we missed everything.

[Kim Richardson]

We missed everything.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

We thought we were doing the right thing by cooperating.

[Kim Richardson]

I didn't try and kill my baby.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

That turned out to be the absolute wrong thing.

[Kim Richardson]

She faces charges of aggravated murder, involuntary manslaughter, endangering children.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Are you scared?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

I'm very scared. I mean, we're. 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 v. Brooks Skylar 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.

[Kim Richardson]

She had a stillborn, and she made a poor choice after that.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Not telling anyone.

[Kim Richardson]

Not telling anyone and burying the baby.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Court has been advised that we have a verdict. Are we ready for the jury? Yes, sir. Will the defendant please rise?

[Narrator/Reporter]

What's your biggest fear at this point?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Guilty. Conviction. This is the case of the State of Ohio v. Brooks Schuyler Richardson, case number 2007.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Nothing has polarized Ohio's Warren county more than the trial of Brooke Skylar Richardson. Do you feel that Skylar's ever gotten the presumption of innocence?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Absolutely not.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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.

[Kim Richardson]

It's just changed our lives forever.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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.

[Kim Richardson]

But it's so hard to be living like this. Thinking, but what if.

[Narrator/Reporter]

A lot of what ifs.

[Kim Richardson]

A lot of what ifs.

[Narrator/Reporter]

In 2017, the Richardsons were living the good life in Carlisle, Ohio, population 5,000.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

It's Mayberry, small town, USA.

[Kim Richardson]

I mean, it's so small town, most people don't leave their.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Kids excelled in school and sports. Son Jackson plays on the football team. Skylar was a cheerleader. But behind the smiling photographs, the family was struggling with a serious issue. Skylar's eating disorder. How much do you think her weight and eating ruled her life?

[Kim Richardson]

Oh, 95%. That is her life. This is her at a very scary point.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Oh, my gosh. Kim says she first noticed a problem when her cheerleader daughter was in the sixth grade.

[Kim Richardson]

12 years old. She wouldn't buy gum because it had five calories. I didn't even know gum had calories.

[Narrator/Reporter]

She was so tiny. She was a perfect flyer.

[Kim Richardson]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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?

[Kim Richardson]

She would throw up.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And when cheerleading was over for the season, Skylar would binge, then starve again. Did you get afraid to even talk about her weight?

[Kim Richardson]

Absolutely.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Well, she definitely would shut down if you mentioned it to her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The Richardsons say they tried everything. Doctors, therapists, nutritionists. Skylar was diagnosed with body dysmorphia, a mental disorder involving an obsessive focus on. On a perceived flaw in appearance. Nothing helped.

[Kim Richardson]

She's very guarded.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Keep a lot of secrets?

[Kim Richardson]

Yes. So many. And we don't know what they are. And I don't know that we ever will.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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?

[Kim Richardson]

I don't know. Because she's this tall and he's that tall.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

We were actually pleased that she was finally gaining some weight.

[Kim Richardson]

She looked healthy.

[Narrator/Reporter]

A month later, she eagerly picked out her prom dress.

[Kim Richardson]

And it was a tight fitting dress that she needed to be laced up in.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And then in late March, Skylar went on vacation with her Family.

[Kim Richardson]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Kim knew Skylar's relationship with Brandon was heating up.

[Kim Richardson]

That's why I wanted her to be on the pill.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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.

[Kim Richardson]

She came out. She had clearly been crying.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Did you ask her why she was crying?

[Kim Richardson]

It was traumatic. She goes, your first appointment is. And I'm like, yeah, it is.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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?

[Kim Richardson]

No.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Nine days later, on May 5, 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

[Kim Richardson]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But less than 48 hours later, in the early morning hours of May 7, something happened that turned the Richardson's life upside down. It remained Skylar's secret for more than two months when police suddenly showed up at the Richardson's home and they said,

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Taking them at their word, Scott drove his daughter to the police station.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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[Narrator/Reporter]

On July 14, 2017, when Scott Richardson drove his daughter Skylar 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?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

No, have no idea.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Lt. John Fain, who at the time was with the Warren county sheriff's office, wanted to question 18 year old Skylar about a call they'd received.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

There's an allegation from an OBGYN office that a patient there had delivered a baby at home and subsequently buried her in her backyard.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Skylar was put in an interrogation room. Her father wasn't allowed in with her.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

You have the right to remain silent.

[Narrator/Reporter]

As Fayne read Skylar her writes.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

You have the right to talk to Laurie.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And then began pressing her. A camera was recording everything.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

We got a call from the doctor's office. Okay. And according to them, on April 26, you found out you were pregnant.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Remember, that was the same day Skylah went to see the gynecologist about getting birth control pills. More than two months later, she returned.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

You went back to that doctor's office

[Kim Richardson]

and I told her what had happened, that I had to have a baby and it wasn't alive. I didn't kill the doe.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Skylar told investigators that in the early morning hours of May 7, 2017, she gave birth to a stillborn baby in her bathroom.

[Kim Richardson]

She just kind of came out and I tried, I tried, I tried older and she's breathing.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

She could 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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But 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.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Are you going to try and kill my baby?

[Narrator/Reporter]

After about 45 minutes of questioning, Lt. Fane told Skylar's anxious parents the real reason he brought in their daughter.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Shock.

[Kim Richardson]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Thane then gave the Richardsons some time alone with their daughter, never mentioning that the camera was rolling. I'm going to set out and capturing this deeply personal moment.

[Kim Richardson]

So sorry, mommy.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Missouri, you should have just told her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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.

[Kim Richardson]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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, Skylar's once closely held secret investigators

[Kim Richardson]

were tipped off about the was shared

[Narrator/Reporter]

with everyone in town.

[Kim Richardson]

Buried in the back of this house.

[Narrator/Reporter]

After more than five hours, Skylar and her parents were allowed to go home.

[Kim Richardson]

You guys are good to go. Thank you.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But six days later, Lieutenant Fang called asking Skylar to come in again.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

I was told she's not in any trouble. It's not a life changing situation this time.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Fang was accompanied by Detective Brandy Carter.

[Kim Richardson]

Hi, Skyler. I'm Brandy.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And they had new damaging information from the coroner's office.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

We know there's some more that happened than what you shared the other day.

[Narrator/Reporter]

OK. Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a forensic anthropologist who analyzed the remains, reported there was evidence that the baby's bones may have been burned.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

So she was under the belief that the baby had been set on fire.

[Narrator/Reporter]

What was your reaction when you heard that?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

I was surprised.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Thane 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.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

There's some evidence to show that there

[Kim Richardson]

was some burning on her.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Didn't burn her.

[Kim Richardson]

I apologize on anything. I didn't burn her. I swear on anything.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But Skylar is clearly confused.

[Kim Richardson]

Anything.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Was there any reason she denied setting a fire?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

No.

[Kim Richardson]

And I did nothing with fire. Nothing.

[Narrator/Reporter]

A total of 17 times.

[Kim Richardson]

Any reason for any of that? No.

[Narrator/Reporter]

In your head you're thinking this young woman is lying to me.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Yes. Because they had told us certainly with scientific certainty there was the fire.

[Kim Richardson]

Maybe it just was one of those

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

things where you just thought like a

[Kim Richardson]

cremation, like I'm going to have some actions that I can keep of my daughter.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Suddenly, Skylar changed her story.

[Kim Richardson]

Tell me everything that you were thinking and everything you did.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

I had a white baby.

[Narrator/Reporter]

It didn't stop there.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Did you hear anything like little gurgle sounds?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Skylar also made the startling admission that the baby might have been born alive.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

How did you know at first you know, that she was probably alive just a little bit. Well, I think she might have made

[Kim Richardson]

a noise, maybe a little noise like

[Narrator/Reporter]

a girl when she said that she might have heard a gurgle the gurgle came from you guys first, right?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

That word? Yes, I said that word first.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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 Skylar told her parents what she told police.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

I tried to cremate the baby. Just a little. You tried to cremate the baby? Yeah, and I didn't. Brooke Richardson is in the Warren County Jail tonight.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Skylar 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.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Count one of that indictment is for aggravated murder.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Aggravated murder, a charge that carries a mandatory life sentence in Ohio. The other charges, involuntary manslaughter, endangering children and abuse of a corpse. Fornschel left no doubt that he had the evidence.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The motive says a baby wouldn't fit into Skylar's life.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Skylar 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.

[Kim Richardson]

There's no way. I would stake my life on it.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Despite Skylar's incriminating statements, Kim and Scott say they intend to prove Skylar is innocent. With the help of these two attorneys,

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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. Skyler Richardson in handcuffs, entered a plea of not guilty during her arraignment on five charges, including aggravated murder.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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.

[Kim Richardson]

It was her physically, but when you

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

looked at her physically, it was just real. The whole.

[Kim Richardson]

She had checked out.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Skyler emerged into a tabloid firestorm. Following the prosecution sensational press conference, the court imposed a gag order, but the damage had already been done.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

On social media, Skylar and her family were vilified in some ways. Is this like kind of the modern Salem witch trials?

[Kim Richardson]

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 voice? 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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

There were threats and a constant drumbeat of vitriol. It became difficult for the family to even leave the house.

[Kim Richardson]

People would claim to know us. They would take any picture that they could find of Skylar and they would paste pictures of babies faces in it. And they found a picture of her with a shovel and they posted some little baby's face in it.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Prominent local defense attorneys Charlie M. Rickers and his father, Charlie H. Say this is a case of a false confession.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

I can tell you that Brooke Skylar Richardson did not kill her baby.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And then, as both sides prepared for trial, Dr. Elizabeth Murray 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.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

And now every doctor in the case, including the state's own doctor, agree that that was a false opinion.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And yet nothing changed in the prosecutor's approach because in the interrogation, Skylar admitted that she tried to cremate the remains. Fornschel refuses to back down or correct the record.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But has that affected the way people see this case?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Absolutely. The jury pool's been tainted, and now this poor girl. Our client skylar, who was 18 years old at the time, is facing life in prison.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Skylar 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.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

As 12 months passed, Skylar's plans to attend the University of Cincinnati were put on hold.

[Kim Richardson]

She can't get a job. She can't go to school.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The defense filed a motion to move the trial to a different county. But the request was denied.

[Kim Richardson]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Then in July 2019, the state approached Skyler's lawyers with an unexpected offer.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

The prosecutor told Charlie, I will take aggravated murder off if you plead to the rest of them, which still could have been 15 years.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Faced with a possibility of life without parole, the Richardsons knew they had a terrible dilemma. But in the end, the decision was Skylar's to make.

[Kim Richardson]

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 plea to something that I didn't do. And in my heart, I got sick. But I. It has to be her decision. End of day, she has to live with this.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

It's quite a burden. There's no way that she would harm her baby. No way.

[Narrator/Reporter]

On September 3, 2019, despite concerns of a tainted jury pool, a 12 person jury is seated after a single day of voir d'. Or. Assistant prosecuting attorney Steven Knippen delivered his opening statement with a jaw dropping quote from a text that Skylar Richardson sent to her mom.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

With the possibility that Skylar'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?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Yes, absolutely.

[Kim Richardson]

She did ask me, am I doing the right thing? It is not hard to destroy a college.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Last season, the podcast Campus Files brought you stories of fraternity drug rings, stolen

[Kim Richardson]

body parts, campus colts, and more.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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 get 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 under siege.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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

[Kim Richardson]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The stress and uncertainty have taken a toll. Skylar, still battling an eating disorder, is virtually wasting away. How's Skylar?

[Kim Richardson]

Not good. She's about £90 and she wears kids clothes. She has no clothes for court. Everything. We have to pin everything on her. Kind of like sewer in her clothes.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But what doctors say is an illness the state characterizes as vanity. Prosecutor Steven Knippen quotes from a text Skylar sent her mom just hours after giving birth.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

You're about to see me looking freaking better than before. Omg.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And there's this selfie that Skylar took at the gym that same afternoon.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Her actions and her statements demonstrate that she had no intention of having this baby.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Prosecutors admit they cannot prove the baby was born alive. But Knippen tells the jury that Skylar herself admitted it.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

During this interview, Brooke admitted the first following she saw her daughter's arms moving a little, heard her gurgle, and heard her cry.

[Narrator/Reporter]

She also told investigators that she might have held her baby, quote, too tight. And that's not all.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

She attempted to burn the baby after her death in an effort to cremate her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But defense attorney Charlie M. Ricker says Skyler just told the police what they wanted to hear.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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, Skylar said it. We'll just keep going. We'll just keep moving forward.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The state calls Dr. Susan Brown, the assistant Warren county coroner who performed the autopsy on the baby's remains.

[Kim Richardson]

Do you have an opinion as to the cause of baby Richardson's death? Yes. Homicidal violence of undetermined etiology.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

You cannot tell us to any reasonable degree of scientific certainty that Annabelle was born alive, is that correct?

[Kim Richardson]

Based on just the autopsy examination alone, I cannot determine whether it was a live birth.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

I tried to cremate the baby just a little.

[Narrator/Reporter]

So if Skylar is convicted, she could be convicted on what she said rather than what she did.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Exactly. Did you Hear her cry, Maybe.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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 freakout mode. I want to look amazing again more than anything. I hate being like this so much. And there are those texts Skylar sent after giving birth.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

I am literally so excited now, just for dinner, to wear something cute. Yay. My belly is back.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

She delivered a stillbirth infant in the bathroom.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Skylar 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 Skylar's description of the baby's appearance is significant.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

She described Annabelle's appearance as being really white. And in my experience, when you deliver a healthy newborn, they're almost purple.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Dr. White points out that Skylar 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. Wipe, Skylar's eating disorder may have restricted the baby's development in the womb.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Fetal growth restriction increases the risks of intrauterine demise or neonatal death.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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. Stone Stuart Bassman, who spent hours interviewing Skylar.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

It is my opinion that Skylar Richardson

[Narrator/Reporter]

suffers from a mental disorder that predisposes

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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 confess Skylar to implant a memory that would incriminate her.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But Lieutenant John Fane says that's not what happened.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

You're two authority figures. She's in a closed room. She doesn't have an attorney. She doesn't have her parents.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

How you know the baby was alive just a little bit that Annabelle was alive.

[Kim Richardson]

I feel her arm, maybe a little.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

But

[Narrator/Reporter]

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

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

any answers that she gave in that interrogation, any answer, was with the goal of pleasing us. No, I do not think that.

[Narrator/Reporter]

A week after the trial started, without Skylar ever taking the stand, the prosecution and the defense make their final appeals to the jury. Assistant prosecutor Julie Kraft.

[Kim Richardson]

Unwanted. That's what Brooke Richardson's daughter was. Unwanted. To outside observers, Brooke Richardson had the perfect life.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

She grew up in a small town.

[Kim Richardson]

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.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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 birth, you have to fight for Scott.

[Narrator/Reporter]

After all the turmoil and high stakes drama, the case is now in the hands of jurors. Four hours later, they reach a verdict.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Are we ready for the jury? Yes, you, Honor. Will the defendant please rise? With regard to count one, we the jury in the above caption case, find the defendant.

[Narrator/Reporter]

On September 12, 2019, Skylar waits for the jury of seven women and five men to decide her future.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

It's completely out of your control at that point. We just didn't know. And that's the scariest thing.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Would the jury believe Skylar confessed to a murder, or would they think she had been pushed into making false statements?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Well, I think she might have made a noise. What kind of noise?

[Kim Richardson]

Maybe a little noise. A girl.

[Narrator/Reporter]

What's the biggest fear right now?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

That we can't prove that she's innocent, too. I mean, that's the hardest thing.

[Narrator/Reporter]

No one expects a quick verdict. But then, just four hours later, Kim and Scott Richardson returned to Judge Oda's packed courtroom with their daughter Skylar.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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 gonna be okay when you don't know. All right, ma'. Am, has the jury reached a verdict in the case?

[Narrator/Reporter]

We have.

[Kim Richardson]

I can see the juror with the envelope, and I'm, like, thinking, that's my daughter's life. And I mean, I am just praying. Not guilty. Not guilty. Not guilty.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

We, the jury in the above captioned case find the defendant, Brooke Skylar Richardson, not guilty of the offense of aggravated murder.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Not guilty of aggravated murder. Not guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Not guilty of child endangerment. Skylar. So Stoic at trial, is overwhelmed.

[Kim Richardson]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

But because Skylar 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 Skylar held in jail until sentencing. Her parents watch in shock as Skylar is led away in handcuffs. Following the District attorney, David Fornchell, denied that he pursued a case with insufficient evidence.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Do you think you are owed an apology by the da?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Honestly, I don't care if I receive 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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Do you think the jurors by this verdict were obviously able to discount what Skyler said in both interrogations?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

One day after the verdict, Skylar is back in court for sentencing.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Is there anything that you want to tell me before I impose a sentence?

[Kim Richardson]

Thank you, you, Honor.

[Narrator/Reporter]

And for the first time, she publicly speaks.

[Kim Richardson]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Seemingly un, Judge Oda delivers a stern message.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

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.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Skylar is sentenced to three years of probation, a far cry from life in prison. What does this now mean for the family?

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

It's a relief that it's over. They now know that they don't have to worry about losing their job. Daughter. Now they can plan for the future.

[Kim Richardson]

Before she will tell you I had nothing to live for Nothing she was

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

too scared to look that far Too

[Kim Richardson]

scared too scared to dream Is she gonna sneak you some ham?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Tell me who you see now she's

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

grown up a lot. She's got a resiliency, some inner strength that, you know, you always hope it's there. Just gotta let it come out. She's a great kid, and hopefully she's gonna bounce back from this. I think she will.

[Narrator/Reporter]

In September 2019, Skylar entered into an eating disorder treatment program.

[Kim Richardson]

It's a lifelong illness. She'll have this all of her life, but we can do this.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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?

[Kim Richardson]

Yeah, I do.

[Narrator/Reporter]

To visit the angel still marks the site where Annabelle once was.

[Kim Richardson]

It's heartbreaking, but this is 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.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Following the verdict, Annabelle's remains were returned to the Richardson family.

[Kim Richardson]

I'm back. I'm really back.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

School spirits returns.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Why am I here? Not dead, right. This place is an absolute death trap.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

We need to get out of here now. School Spirits New season Now streaming only on Paramount plus.

[Kim Richardson]

I'm back. I'm really back.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

School spirits returned.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Why am I here? Not dead, right? Disruption on this campus will not be.

[Kim Richardson]

I look crazy. It's because that's how I feel.

[Narrator/Reporter]

I don't know how to live in two worlds.

[Defense Attorney/Prosecutor/Other Legal Personnel]

Secrets lurk. There are others beneath the surface. They're not like us. We need to get out of here now. School Spirits New season Now streaming only on Paramount plus.