I`ve now read all threads on this case and multiple online articles and watched most parts of Law and Crime.
And I´m still not sure about this. IMO, it`s a difficult case. On the one hand, there ist strong evidence for Annabelle being killed or deliberately neglected after birth, so that she finally died on her own quickly (for example not fetching her out of the toilet, not calling ambulance for suction of airways). Maybe BSR just did nothing and let it happen. Undoubtedly she didn`t want to have that baby. She hid the pregnancy, even after being told by the Dr how far along she was. She googled "how to get rid of a baby" in a LATE pregnancy state and consumed those birth control pills. She was told by her mother, her life would be over and there would be no college. She was grossly immature. She clearly was not prepared to handle an living baby, bc she hadn`t told anyone when birth happened. There was a lot of pressure on her, she surely felt desperate, so I think it`s not unlikely that she in fact got away with a homicide.
On the other hand, there was her ED, which could have let to growth restriction and stillbirth. She also had a completely unassisted birth, so Annabelle could have died during the birth process due to lack of oxygen or other complications. Or - and that`s what is haunting me a little - BSR thought that Annabelle was dead and buried her alive, but in fact she was not and could have been saved.
BSR`s behaviour (telling no one, not getting help, ED, no prenatal care) probably resulted in the death of the baby, no matter in which way, but unfortunately we will never know if she deliberately killed her...
What I don`t understand, is the following:
BSR is decribed as a very smart or "book-smart" girl. But that doesn`t go well will the decisions she made, respectively made not:
- Having unprotected sex AND didn`t go for the morning after pill instantly and
- Not doing a home pregnancy test 4 weeks after having unprotected sex to make sure she`s not pregnant
This is what a "smart girl" would do. So, she would, in case of pregnancy, have had all the choices - early abortion, or keeping the baby, or give it up for adoption.
Especially when a 17-year-old girl decides to go for early abortion, this would have remained a secret; nobody should have none about it, not even her parents. (And she shouldn't have been afraid for her figure, not having an afterbirth belly, not having stretch marks, etc). So
why didn't she take advantage of this opportunity? It would have been the easiest way out for her.
Or are the US laws concerning abortion in minors stricter than in Germany? Here minors can have abortions without their parents' knowledge and consent, if the Dr considered them mature enough (17-year old girl? No problem at all...)
Last but not least I feel sorry for baby Annabelle and can`t help feeling sorry for BSR too. She saw Annabelle as a threat to her "perfect life". But I think her existence could also have meant an enrichment. She would have been a person who would probably have loved BSR all her life.
Only losers in this case, no winners...