OH - Annabelle Richardson, newborn, found in shallow grave, Carlisle, 7 May 2017 #2

[iluvmua]

Did anybody catch the defense attorney correct their expert witness when he said there is evidence and the defense attorney said there is no evidence of whatever they were talking about?

 

[MsArk]

Reading here on WS how differently folks interpret trial evidence always makes me appreciate the beauty of our jury system.

I don't think those texts are at all damning, though they are definitely bizarre. Imo they are entirely consistent with the pattern of other text exchanges between the two we've seen.

As I've posted before, imo the texts reflect Kim's control over her daughter, and especially the transparency of Kim's use of conditional approval to control, Skylar's weight being the central thing upon which Kim conditioned her approval.

I don't think it's reasonable, then, to take Skylar's chirpy texts to her mother at face value. For me the texts are actually mitigating, and go a long way in understanding why Skylar would have found it impossible to tell Kim about her pregnancy.

I agree with you about the text messages. I could see the desperation in Skylar’s voice trying to make her mom happy with the lost weight thing. Very telling, especially if one has a past with a mom much like this.

 

[ReillyElizabeth]

Reading here on WS how differently folks interpret trial evidence always makes me appreciate the beauty of our jury system.

I don't think those texts are at all damning, though they are definitely bizarre. Imo they are entirely consistent with the pattern of other text exchanges between the two we've seen.

As I've posted before, imo the texts reflect Kim's control over her daughter, and especially the transparency of Kim's use of conditional approval to control, Skylar's weight being the central thing upon which Kim conditioned her approval.

I don't think it's reasonable, then, to take Skylar's chirpy texts to her mother at face value. For me the texts are actually mitigating, and go a long way in understanding why Skylar would have found it impossible to tell Kim about her pregnancy.

I agree that the texts help show why Skylar would have found it impossible to tell Kim about her pregnancy. But her difficulty in telling her mother about her pregnancy does not help her show that the baby was stillborn. If anything, it suggests the opposite. And it wasn't just the post-delivery texts to Kim. She also texted Brandon that same morning "I'm so happy" or something like that. I can understand keeping a secret under the circumstances she was faced with, but logically she still should have been sad if her baby was stillborn.

I do think the relationship with the mother is mitigating, in the sense that it helps explain why Skylar acted the way she did, but I don't think it helps show that the baby was stillborn.

 

[Mauig’ma]

Lauren Pack@LPack JN
Dr. White says he also disagrees with the prosecution expert Dr. Brady, that Skylar was not suffering for nutrition deficiency when she was told about her pregnancy in April 2017. Blood work shows she was.
@journalnews

I’m sure that’s because she was starving herself not to look so pregnant. Moo

 

[gitana1]

She probably thought she needed to poop and pee. Apparently people that are in denial about being pregnant give birth over the toilet. Drowning is a big risk because the mothers sometimes pass out.

Do you have some stats for that? That the babies drown because moms pass out? I will add to my research.

 

[Mfcovent]

The Prosecution can call Rebuttal witnesses after the defense rest.

Thank you so much! I found this which is very informative.

When can You Bring in Rebuttal Witness in a Trial

 

[ReillyElizabeth]

But unless she were a witness for the defense, I don’t think they can call her. They can totally cross examine, but since they’ve rested, they can’t call new witnesses.

I don't know about Ohio law, but generally new witnesses can be called in rebuttal. However, the prosecution can only address in rebuttal issues and arguments raised by the defense in its case.

 

[gitana1]

'You're scaring me,' Brooke Skylar Richardson tells mom in text after pregnancy revealed

Sept 9, 2019

“You’re scaring me.”

That’s what Richardson told her mom in a text message after her OB-GYN sent an email indicating she was pregnant. Richardson told her mother it was a mistake, and she had just gotten to school. She said she would call about it later.

Her mom chastised her, in a text, telling her to call now. Kim Richardson told her daughter she wanted her to have a future.

“That eliminates all that,” she said.

[...]

On Monday, prosecutors detailed text conversations between Richardson and her mom.

The texts paint a picture of a mother obsessed with her daughter's weight – and a daughter obsessed with her mother's acceptance.

Richardson's attorneys have said the two always text like that. She has suffered from an eating disorder since she was 12.

“I’m literally speechless with how happy I am,” Richardson said in one message. “My belly is back omg I am never ever ever evertrrr letting it grt like this again your about to see me look freaking better than before omg.”

Richardson sent that text to her mother on the day of her baby’s death.

In the weeks that followed, she regularly texted her mother about her weight and workouts. She took selfies showing her shrinking stomach and told her mom she was now strutting around school.

Her mother encouraged her.

Ten days after the nightmare in her backyard, Richardson told her mom she lost 20 pounds. She said it was announced in one of her classes and everyone clapped.

“I could cry,” her mom responded. “U literally (are) my hero.”

At this point I think she absolutely knew her kid was pregnant and was tacitly encouraging her to "lose it". The mother is a delusional and sick as the daughter. It was some weird, symbiotic relationship where things went unspoken but said.

 

[Peppery]

I doubt the amount of time made a difference then. she was working on adrenaline, likely, and not watching a clock.

are you able to recall how long you were in labor or how much time you spent in a bathroom during labor and birth? (assuming you have given birth, I definitely do not know your experience ) I sure don’t. if you can, you have a much better memory than I ever have or will.

If my baby fell head first into a nasty toilet, I can guarantee I would’ve picked her up within 2 seconds. It’s a gut instinct, don’t even need to think about it.

 

[gitana1]

Kim and Skyler shared a common goal and that goal was that the baby would either be born dead or dead shortly after because neither one of them bought baby clothes and both of them could have and should have if they actually had any plans to keep the baby alive at all. Planned Parenthood has a reputation for one thing unfortunately and it shouldn't, it should have a reputation for more than one thing because they do great care but when certain people talk about Planned Parenthood, they're only referring to one thing. I believe these are those certain people.

Really good point. And I agree. Mom probably didn't know how far along her child was. Thought she could still abort.

Because I'm betting this family is against abortion publicly but line many, they will do anything to make sure Suzi doesn't have a shameful unplanned for child.

Before it was legal rich people routinely took their kids to private doctors or Switzerland for abortions. So the rich still got them.

 

[iluvmua]

If my baby fell head first into a nasty toilet, I can guarantee I would’ve picked her up within 2 seconds. It’s a gut instinct, don’t even need to think about it.

I sure as heck would not let it sit in the toilet for TWO whole minutes. Jmo

 

[MsJosie]

Can one imagine what it will be like in that house after the trial? SR whether she serves time or not will always be trying to please her mom. Her mom will always hold it against SR for getting pregnant, not keeping her mouth shut, and what ever else there is. I can see the dad and mom getting a divorce as each will blame the other. It will be an awful miserable household.....IMO. There will be no end in sight.

I have a hard time watching any part of this trial. The little baby could have had a beautiful life with another family.

 

[Hope4More]

I agree that the texts help show why Skylar would have found it impossible to tell Kim about her pregnancy. But her difficulty in telling her mother about her pregnancy does not help her show that the baby was stillborn. If anything, it suggests the opposite. And it wasn't just the post-delivery texts to Kim. She also texted Brandon that same morning "I'm so happy" or something like that. I can understand keeping a secret under the circumstances she was faced with, but logically she still should have been sad if her baby was stillborn.

I do think the relationship with the mother is mitigating, in the sense that it helps explain why Skylar acted the way she did, but I don't think it helps show that the baby was stillborn.

I didn't mean mitigating as relating to or evidence of a stillborn. Nor even that their pathological relationship is mitigating in the sense that Skylar is less culpable because she has a horrible mother.

What I meant is that the texts imo reveal a relationship that suggests Skylar would have no reason to trust she could express her real emotions to her mother. Kim seems to have required Skylar to express perky obedience,underpinned by expressions of self loathing. This...no reason to trust that the texts reflect Skylar's actual frame of mind or emotions.

(Her text to Brandon was similar, only deviating in that Skylar first told him the night before had been " the worst ever," before plastering on the perky).

 

[gitana1]

If my baby fell head first into a nasty toilet, I can guarantee I would’ve picked her up within 2 seconds. It’s a gut instinct, don’t even need to think about it.

A gut instinct for someone connected to their child. These people who secretly give birth to an unwanted child over a toilet, aren't.

 

[geevee]

We can't forget that she just gave birth alone and was in process of birthing the placenta, and was likely bleeding pretty heavily. She may have only been trying to stem the flow or wedging a towel between her legs before trying to grab the baby up. We don't know the second by second occurrences but we can imagine she had to have been in sheer panic doing this all alone.

 

[razzledazzle]

If found guilty on any of the charges, who will impose sentence. The judge or the jury?

 

[Tillicum]

Really good point. And I agree. Mom probably didn't know how far along her child was. Thought she could still abort.

Because I'm betting this family is against abortion publicly but line many, they will do anything to make sure Suzi doesn't have a shameful unplanned for child.

Before it was legal rich people routinely took their kids to private doctors or Switzerland for abortions. So the rich still got them.

Because of her irregular periods and fluctuating weight I wonder if Skylar herself thought it was Brandon's baby. Do we know when she and Brandon started dating?

 

[Hope4More]

At this point I think she absolutely knew her kid was pregnant and was tacitly encouraging her to "lose it". The mother is a delusional and sick as the daughter. It was some weird, symbiotic relationship where things went unspoken but said.

Here's another ( purely speculative ) equally awful but imo more probable possibility:

Skylar was graduating HS and had plans to live on campus in the fall. Which meant Kim was facing losing absolute control over Skylar.

Sorry, but I don't believe for a second that Kim actually wanted Skylar to succeed, much less if Kim couldn't own that success. And I do believe she was intent upon punishing Skylar for being sexually active.

Perhaps she was so insistent Skylar go to her first ever OB/GYN appt, and that it be her own DR, because she knew Skylar was pregnant, knew her DR wouldn't miss that fact, and was expecting Skylar to emerge from the exam room totally distraught. What an opportunity to ensure she'd maintain even more absolute control over Skylar. No college. Having to ask Kim for help. Being utterly dependent upon Kim.

But first- Skylar having to come to her to confess & to capitulate.

So, knowing that Skylar was lying to her about being given BC pills and lying to her that the DR had made a mistake about her being pregnant, but believing that at some point Skylar would be forced to tell her.

Kim to Skylar after her first interrogation: "You should have told me."

 

[Peppery]

A gut instinct for someone connected to their child. These people who secretly give birth to an unwanted child over a toilet, aren't.

Not sure I agree, it could be a child I don’t know, a puppy, my greatest enemy, my human instinct would be to immediately remove a living being from a pool of blood, urine, feces, and bacteria. And I think most people would agree that’s a reasonable response.

 

[gitana1]

If the baby was born alive we wouldn't be discussing this it wouldn't have made the news. She could have given it up for adoption and gone off to college as planned.

But that's your opinion. She refused to talk to the doctor about adoption even though he presented her with that option. She refused to obtain any prenatal care or go to follow up appointments. The only thing se seemed to care about was looking sleek for prom.

She hid her pregnancy from her parents despite the easy opening when the mom got the email. She hid her labor. She hid the body.

None of that sounds like someone who would've simply given the baby up for adoption if she had a live birth.

I'm convinced she did have a live birth and took care of the "problem" as her mommy seems to have somehow instructed.

She had zero intent of having a baby and dealing with adoption, IMO.

Thousands of young women just like Skylar give birth to live babies after concealed pregnancies and kill their babies so no one will know what happened and so they don't have to deal with reality. There is nothing different with Skylar from the profiles of those women except she has money and she and her parents are cunning and manipulative enough to know how to act like it was all just a crazy mistake and she didn't know what happened and the baby was born dead and she was shocked but she lovingly named the baby Annabelle and carefully shoved her naked body in a dirt pit. But hey, she put some flowers on the grave because she loved her child.

"Last night was so horrible but I'm happy now!!"

"I'm literally speechless with how happy I am my belly is back OMG...!"