August 21, 2019 at 03:03AM
An Ohio woman accused of killing her newborn daughter and burying her remains in her parents' backyard in 2017 is weeks away from standing trial after a judge threw out three crucial motions on Monday.
Brooke Skylar Richardson, 20, is charged with aggravated murder, involuntary manslaughter, gross abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and child endangerment for her child's death. On Monday, Warren County Common Pleas Judge Donald Oda II denied the defense's motions for the jury to view the alleged crime scene, for the indictment to be dismissed, and for a change in venue, according to the Dayton Daily News.
Richardson was 18 and full-term when she gave birth to a girl named Annabelle. She's accused of burning and dismembering the baby before burying her in the backyard of her parents' Carlisle home in May 2017.
The defense claimed that Richardson had a stillborn who didn't meet the criteria to be deemed a child. Meanwhile, Prosecutors said Richardson smashed the live newborn's skull and possibly burned her remains before burying her in the backyard, according to the Daily Mail.
Despite theories offered by the defense and prosecution, the newborn's cause of death remains a mystery.
"Skylar and her family, particularly her mother, were pretty obsessed with external appearances and how things appeared to the outside world," County Prosecutor David Fornshell previously told the court.
"You have a situation where, you know, she's a cute high school, recent high school graduate; she was a cheerleader described (as) a good girl by her attorney as you heard after the arraignment. And I think that kind of perception is one that Skylar wanted to perpetuate and her mother wanted to perpetuate."
Upon dismissing the motions, the judge said jury selection will begin on September 3.
Richardson has been out on bond since August 2017. The trial is expected to continue for three weeks.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the 'Crime Stories with Nancy Grace' podcast. Here is a related episode:
[Featured image: Brooke Skylar Richardson/Family handout]
An Ohio woman accused of killing her newborn daughter and burying her remains in her parents' backyard in 2017 is weeks away from standing trial after a judge threw out three crucial motions on Monday.
Brooke Skylar Richardson, 20, is charged with aggravated murder, involuntary manslaughter, gross abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and child endangerment for her child's death. On Monday, Warren County Common Pleas Judge Donald Oda II denied the defense's motions for the jury to view the alleged crime scene, for the indictment to be dismissed, and for a change in venue, according to the Dayton Daily News.
Richardson was 18 and full-term when she gave birth to a girl named Annabelle. She's accused of burning and dismembering the baby before burying her in the backyard of her parents' Carlisle home in May 2017.
The defense claimed that Richardson had a stillborn who didn't meet the criteria to be deemed a child. Meanwhile, Prosecutors said Richardson smashed the live newborn's skull and possibly burned her remains before burying her in the backyard, according to the Daily Mail.
Despite theories offered by the defense and prosecution, the newborn's cause of death remains a mystery.
"Skylar and her family, particularly her mother, were pretty obsessed with external appearances and how things appeared to the outside world," County Prosecutor David Fornshell previously told the court.
"You have a situation where, you know, she's a cute high school, recent high school graduate; she was a cheerleader described (as) a good girl by her attorney as you heard after the arraignment. And I think that kind of perception is one that Skylar wanted to perpetuate and her mother wanted to perpetuate."
Upon dismissing the motions, the judge said jury selection will begin on September 3.
Richardson has been out on bond since August 2017. The trial is expected to continue for three weeks.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the 'Crime Stories with Nancy Grace' podcast. Here is a related episode:
[Featured image: Brooke Skylar Richardson/Family handout]