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

[MyBelle]

Thanks for the welcome! I'm indeed from the Netherlands. I'm not a defense attorney, but a senior law clerk at the criminal law section of one of the Dutch courts of appeal, so I'll be your go-to person if there's ever a Dutch criminal trial being discussed on these forums!

I'm not sure exactly what her doctor told BSR with regards to the results of the ultrasound, except that there was a strong heartbeat. We know he told BSR she was 32 weeks pregnant and could be expected to deliver in 8-10 weeks, while in fact she was nearly full term and delivered a week and a half later. That -to me- indicates that the baby may have been underweight/underdeveloped, because that's seems like a pretty big error to make for an OB-GYN, especially after conducting an ultrasound.

Whilst one part of an interview being false may not necessarily mean other parts are false as well, it's definitely reason to review the rest of the interview with a strong critical eye. And of course acceptable interrogation techniques can still lead to false confessions, so it's always beneficial to underpin a confession with solid objective evidence as well. It's true that the Reid technique is widely used in the USA and Canada (much less so in Europe) and has the benefit that a high percentage of those interrogated will confess. However, there is growing evidence that the Reid technique results in a significant number of false confessions, especially among the young, the psychologically less robust, the mentally impaired and those of low intelligence, and it is with this knowledge in mind that I approach the second interrogation with strong caution.

I think the Dr. took measurements of her abdomen and made his estimate of 32 weeks from those measurements. BSR's eating disorder could very well have caused fetal underdevelopment, imo.

From these briefs filed with the court last year, it says the Dr. told BSR to come back for the ultrasound:

But unknown to everyone, Richardson was pregnant when she went to her first ever OBGYN appointment. Dr William Andrew estimated after that she was 32 weeks along. But he was wrong. She was 37 1/2 weeks pregnant.

The unexpected news was shocking to her and she stressed to the doctor that she did not want her mother Kim, who was sitting in the waiting room to be told about the pregnancy.

The doctor wrote her a 90 day prescription for birth control and told her she had eight weeks to tell her parents. He also asked her to come back for an ultrasound and a blood test.

National Advocacy groups file friends of the court briefs in support of Brooke Skylar Richardson

 

[MTW2011]

Anyone else see this? “
Detective in buried baby case was demoted days before scheduled trial” Skylar Richardson: Detective in buried baby case was demoted days before scheduled trial

 

[Tillicum]

Wait a minute. I understood the OBGYN used a fundul height measuring tape to measure possible gestation and did NOT do an ultrasound?

Timeline: What happened before, after Carlisle newborn's death
“When Dr. Andrew spoke with Brooke about her pregnancy, she kept repeating that she cannot have this baby and she was adamant about telling no one that she was pregnant,” Knippen said.

Andrew said he did an ultrasound to confirm she was pregnant. He showed her heartbeat because it’s helpful to do this with a patient who is having trouble accepting that they are pregnant, he said. Andrew said the ultrasound, although not formal or extensive, did not show anything abnormal.

He said Richardson was still upset after the ultrasound and at one point she said she can’t have a baby because she’d be going to college in the fall. Andrew said he told her that just because she was pregnant did not mean she’d have to raise the baby, and he told her to call him if she had thoughts of harming herself or the baby.

 

[MyBelle]

Wait a minute. I understood the OBGYN used a fundul height measuring tape to measure possible gestation and did NOT do an ultrasound?

That's seems to be what happened. The Dr. also told her she had 8 weeks to tell her parents. That's pretty intimidating on his part and just added to her fear. I think the Dr. was waaaaaay out of line.

JMO

 

[MyBelle]

Anyone else see this? “
Detective in buried baby case was demoted days before scheduled trial” Skylar Richardson: Detective in buried baby case was demoted days before scheduled trial

I saw that. No explanation.

 

[gitana1]

Thanks for the welcome! I'm indeed from the Netherlands. I'm not a defense attorney, but a senior law clerk at the criminal law section of one of the Dutch courts of appeal, so I'll be your go-to person if there's ever a Dutch criminal trial being discussed on these forums!

I'm not sure exactly what her doctor told BSR with regards to the results of the ultrasound, except that there was a strong heartbeat. We know he told BSR she was 32 weeks pregnant and could be expected to deliver in 8-10 weeks, while in fact she was nearly full term and delivered a week and a half later. That -to me- indicates that the baby may have been underweight/underdeveloped, because that's seems like a pretty big error to make for an OB-GYN, especially after conducting an ultrasound.

Whilst one part of an interview being false may not necessarily mean other parts are false as well, it's definitely reason to review the rest of the interview with a strong critical eye. And of course acceptable interrogation techniques can still lead to false confessions, so it's always beneficial to underpin a confession with solid objective evidence as well. It's true that the Reid technique is widely used in the USA and Canada (much less so in Europe) and has the benefit that a high percentage of those interrogated will confess. However, there is growing evidence that the Reid technique results in a significant number of false confessions, especially among the young, the psychologically less robust, the mentally impaired and those of low intelligence, and it is with this knowledge in mind that I approach the second interrogation with strong caution.

Do you have links to the clips you saw that indicate to you the Reid technique was used?

I haven't seen any of the second interview.

She was determined to be about 32 weeks pregnant. That was an estimate. That would be 8 months pregnant. That was in April. See gave birth on May 7. Sounds like a full term birth to me.

 

[BlackCloud]

Anyone else see this? “
Detective in buried baby case was demoted days before scheduled trial” Skylar Richardson: Detective in buried baby case was demoted days before scheduled trial

Rather disturbing...

 

[gitana1]

Wait a minute. I understood the OBGYN used a fundul height measuring tape to measure possible gestation and did NOT do an ultrasound?

They did an ultrasound. Idont know what else they did. I'm sure they also went off the date of her last period.

 

[gitana1]

Plenty of teens fall pregnant and don't do what she did, regardless of brain maturity...

True. But most probably don't have mothers like hers either.

 

[gitana1]

Anyone else see this? “
Detective in buried baby case was demoted days before scheduled trial” Skylar Richardson: Detective in buried baby case was demoted days before scheduled trial

Yes.

 

[MyBelle]

Timeline: What happened before, after Carlisle newborn's death
“When Dr. Andrew spoke with Brooke about her pregnancy, she kept repeating that she cannot have this baby and she was adamant about telling no one that she was pregnant,” Knippen said.

Andrew said he did an ultrasound to confirm she was pregnant. He showed her heartbeat because it’s helpful to do this with a patient who is having trouble accepting that they are pregnant, he said. Andrew said the ultrasound, although not formal or extensive, did not show anything abnormal.

He said Richardson was still upset after the ultrasound and at one point she said she can’t have a baby because she’d be going to college in the fall. Andrew said he told her that just because she was pregnant did not mean she’d have to raise the baby, and he told her to call him if she had thoughts of harming herself or the baby.

Interesting that he would say that at trial. The trial briefs filed by several agencies seemed to have the actual medical records and they claim he told her to return for an ultrasound. If Dr. Andrews did do an ultrasound, he would have been able to more accurately determine the development of the baby.

JMO

 

[155etta]

Well that's because it was a criminal investigation. They upheld her fifth amendment rights. But this wasn't a counseling session where they're supposed to let her vent and give her the support she needs.

If she was a young man I have a feeling people wouldn't be as worried about the investigative techniques used to find out the truth.

They were also "manipulative" in getting Chris Watts to admit to killing at least his wife and telling where he put all the bodies. They rubbed his back, told him he was "doing great", and told him he was a good father.

If that's not allowed because someone is considered vulnerable than we need to do away with the criminal system all together. She was read her Miranda warning. She was not 15.

My attitude would be vastly different if threats were made, yelling, and clear refusal to let her leave.

This is just my opinion, but

The dad seemed genuinely surprised and obviously upset. About two months had passed between the birth and the police coming to their home. If he had no suspicions of pregnancy that would be a lot to process. I wondered if they knew they were being taped. It doesn't seem like a discussion you should have in a police station. Skylar seemed more terrified of her parents than jail or the police. I think if it had been born crying she might have tried hiding her in her bedroom or she might have left it on a doorstep.
I think after that last push things get hazy for a few minutes. I had an epidural and I remember thinking it feels like you have just taken a huge poop. She might have been on the toilet for that reason. My kid was pressing on my lungs and stomach. It was like "wow, I can breath". You can relax. She said something about the baby being cold what if it was in water. What if she relaxed over the toilet?

A little of off topic but what did she do when her milk came in? How did she deal with and hide that? And the postpartum bleeding? That goes on for weeks. I seriously can't believe her mother was that clueless.

 

[osu]

Anyone else see this? “
Detective in buried baby case was demoted days before scheduled trial” Skylar Richardson: Detective in buried baby case was demoted days before scheduled trial

Det John Faine is married to a Warren County judge. Apparently he had an affair with someone from his church and was seeing her while on-duty using his county vehicle.

JMO

 

[beatrixpotter]

I find myself with incredibly conflicted feelings about this case. I have to wonder what kind of mental state a young woman would have to be in to delude herself into believing that she's not pregnant when she's nearly full-term. I'm fully capable of denial but this is of outrageous proportions.

I vacillate between seeing her as a monster and seeing her as a severely damaged young woman.

I keep going back to the doctor appointments. If you know you're pregnant and you plan to rid yourself of the child upon birth, why would you go to a ob/gyn in the first place? You certainly don't need birth control at the moment and you only risk revealing the pregnancy you're trying to hide. And then having revealed it, she goes back to the very same medical practice to seek birth control after burying her baby in the backyard. I can't see these as the actions of someone who fully comprehended her circumstances either before or after the birth.

This really sums up so much of how I feel. I find anyone killing their helpless newborn or even tossing their deceased newborn naked in a hole in the ground repulsive. I've never held a newborn and my every instinct not been to just love and protect it.

Her actions seems so illogical to me as well. Why did she go to the OB repeatedly? I mean she couldn't wriggle out of that appointment BUT she could birth a baby alone and hide that?

And I find it absolutely impossible that her mother didn't know. I only just learned that mom got an email from the OB revealing she was pregnant. Coupled with massive weight gain and her pressuring her to go to the OBGYN it almost seems like she was desperate for her mother to figure it out and take the burden off her telling her. But her mother refused.

 

[beatrixpotter]

I see people repeatedly talking about postpartum pictures of her in the bathroom. Can someone please link them? I've not seen these.

 

[osu]

Wait a minute. I understood the OBGYN used a fundul height measuring tape to measure possible gestation and did NOT do an ultrasound?

Yes, IIRC, her OB-GYN did an ultrasound in the office during that visit and then scheduled her for another ultrasound at the hospital the next day. BSR didn’t go for the ultrasound appointment.

JMO

 

[MTW2011]

I thought Dr Andrews said he did an ultrasound, mostly because he mentioned for younger, first-time mothers, when they see the baby, a heartbeat, etc they are more open to accepting the idea. He mentioned not doing the detailed measurements during this ultrasound though.

 

[zea mays]

I think home confinement is the worst punishment she can receive. A cell in a prison would at least give her space away from her mother.

JMO

I think she's pretty comfortable at home - despite the poor treatment from her parents. I still think being home would be more comfy than prison.

The father of the child was only her boyfriend for one month then she dropped him. Too short a time for Mom to think she needed contraceptives. But when a longer relationship developed, she did take her daughter to the family doctor for a prescription. She didn’t judge. She protected her. or so she thought.

Do we know that BSR was never taken to a Dr for her eating disorders? I don’t think we do.

From observing family members in my husbands family, let me point out one conundrum. Families are told that the disorder is the patients attempt to control their own life. Yet this manner of control is ruining their health. So attempts can be made in good faith to try to ameliorate the feeling of the controlling parent...BUT...how to you NOT try to monitor when they are subsisting on a starvation diet and you are watching in horror? You cannot say...you are dangerous thin. You DO take solace in anything that looks like weight gain.

I watched as good parents walked this tightrope. And they were not image obsessed social climbers. It’s a hellish existence that often has no easy answers...but is destructive to every member of the family.

Its easy to judge this family in order to make this young woman a victim, but we really don’t know. Eating disorders seem to have a confluence of possible “causes.” I’m betting Mom will go on the stand like Cindy Anthony and protect her at all costs.

I think you can get your daughter birth control AND shame her for needing it. I've seen a screenshot of her instagram account that describes her as ED N.O.S - which is eating disorder, not otherwise specified. Meaning she didn't have pure anorexia or bulimia.

Is BSR still with Brandon? Not sure if that is his name.

I've heard that she still is, yes. He's slated to testify, I think.

Thanks for the welcome! I'm indeed from the Netherlands. I'm not a defense attorney, but a senior law clerk at the criminal law section of one of the Dutch courts of appeal, so I'll be your go-to person if there's ever a Dutch criminal trial being discussed on these forums!

I'm not sure exactly what her doctor told BSR with regards to the results of the ultrasound, except that there was a strong heartbeat. We know he told BSR she was 32 weeks pregnant and could be expected to deliver in 8-10 weeks, while in fact she was nearly full term and delivered a week and a half later. That -to me- indicates that the baby may have been underweight/underdeveloped, because that's seems like a pretty big error to make for an OB-GYN, especially after conducting an ultrasound.

Whilst one part of an interview being false may not necessarily mean other parts are false as well, it's definitely reason to review the rest of the interview with a strong critical eye. And of course acceptable interrogation techniques can still lead to false confessions, so it's always beneficial to underpin a confession with solid objective evidence as well. It's true that the Reid technique is widely used in the USA and Canada (much less so in Europe) and has the benefit that a high percentage of those interrogated will confess. However, there is growing evidence that the Reid technique results in a significant number of false confessions, especially among the young, the psychologically less robust, the mentally impaired and those of low intelligence, and it is with this knowledge in mind that I approach the second interrogation with strong caution.

Ultrasound that late in the pregnancy is NOT accurate for establishing gestational age. I'm shocked that the prosecution did not bring up this ACOG article that states:

• A pregnancy without an ultrasound examination that confirms or revises the EDD before 22 0/7 weeks of gestational age should be considered suboptimally dated.

And this:

Gestational age assessment by ultrasonography in the third trimester (28 0/7 weeks of gestation and beyond) is the least reliable method, with an accuracy of ± 21–30 days (19, 20, 24). Because of the risk of redating a small fetus that may be growth restricted, management decisions based on third-trimester ultrasonography alone are especially problematic; therefore, decisions need to be guided by careful consideration of the entire clinical picture and may require close surveillance, including repeat ultrasonography, to ensure appropriate interval growth. The best available data support adjusting the EDD of a pregnancy if the first ultrasonography in the pregnancy is performed in the third trimester and suggests a discrepancy in gestational dating of more than 21 days.

Wait a minute. I understood the OBGYN used a fundul height measuring tape to measure possible gestation and did NOT do an ultrasound?

A quick ultrasound was done to establish heartbeat, general size, and to help BSR bond with idea of her pregnancy. She was asked to come back in one week for a full ultrasound.

They did an ultrasound. Idont know what else they did. I'm are they also went off the date of her last period.

I don't think they used the LMP at all since she had reported both a period two weeks ago and one month ago to the medical assistant and MD separately.

 

[osu]

Anyone else see this? “
Detective in buried baby case was demoted days before scheduled trial” Skylar Richardson: Detective in buried baby case was demoted days before scheduled trial

Ex lead detective in the Brooke Skylar Richardson case was investigated for misconduct, demoted and finally resigned, days before the high profile trial was scheduled for April of last year.
March 1

The ex lieutenant, John Faine was a top officer in the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, who oversaw criminal investigations. He was also the lead detective in the most high-profile murder case in the county since the Ryan Widmer case.

With twenty years of experience behind him, Faine was ready to take center stage in the Brooke Skylar Richardson case, in which prosecutors had announced that the teen murdered and killed her newborn baby and buried it in the yard of her family’s home. Her family say the baby was stillborn, she was scared and didn’t know what to do except bury it.

Instead, Faine was investigated and demoted after the state’s own witness, called him out for his unprofessional behavior.

In text messages to this reporter, the state witness, Andi Morris, revealed that Faine was doing more than just investigating the case. He was engaged in an extra marital affair with her friend, a married Allstate insurance agent. Morris, who was later dropped from the witness list.

~snip


Texts at link:

Ex lead detective in the Brooke Skylar Richardson case was investigated for misconduct, demoted…

 

[osu]

I see people repeatedly talking about postpartum pictures of her in the bathroom. Can someone please link them? I've not seen these.