PUBLISHER'S NOTE: A case which proved to be of great interest to the readers of this Blog: "From the beginning, Richardson has insisted the baby was
stillborn. But even as a coroner has been unable to determine a cause of
death, prosecutors insist the cause was homicide, and that Richardson,
now 20, buried the evidence so she could continue on with a
picture-perfect teenage lifestyle. The case
exploded, becoming a tabloid-fare narrative about an all-American
cheerleader accused of secretly killing her own child because she and
her family were “pretty obsessed” with external appearances, as Warren
County Prosecutor David P. Fornshell said in 2017. He claimed Richardson
burned the baby’s corpse too — sinister details that later turned out
to be incorrect, Richardson’s attorney said, but that nevertheless only
fueled nonstop coverage. Photographers camped outside the family’s home
in small-town Carlisle, waiting to share the latest snippets of the
family’s lives. Antiabortion activists picketed Richardson’s hearings, demanding justice for Baby Jane Doe. But
Richardson didn’t kill the baby, her attorney, Charles M. Rittgers,
insisted to prospective jurors jury selection. Instead,
he said, “This case was about a massive rush to judgment."
Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog:
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Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog:
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PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This Blog is interested in false confessions because
of the disturbing number of exonerations in the USA, Canada and multiple
other jurisdictions throughout the world, where, in the absence of
incriminating forensic evidence the conviction is based on
self-incrimination (as well as false identification and jailhouse
informants) – and because of the growing body of scientific research
showing how vulnerable suspects (especially juveniles) are to widely
used interrogation methods such as the notorious ‘Reid Technique.""
Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "According to him (Defence Attorney Charles H. Rittgers) , they were charges she never should have faced at all. “This was well overcharged from the get-go, and it was so juicy for the government to think that oh, not only did she murder her baby but she burned her baby, which tainted the whole jury pool, which is exactly what we were afraid of,” he said. “Ever since her indictment and ever since that news conference, we thought we were in a hole. And it was a really deep hole in our opinion.”Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell claimed in 2017, shortly after then-18-year-old Richardson’s arrest, that she had concealed her pregnancy before killing, burning and burying her child May 7. The burning, he said then, was so severe that experts might never know the exact cause of death. Although Richardson said in a police interview she had tried to cremate the baby “a little bit," later medical examinations would conclude the remains showed no evidence of burning. Rittgers said her confession to police was coerced. Rittgers, who defended Richardson alongside son Charles M. Rittgers, characterized the case as one tainted by prosecutors’ unproven assertions and the attention of the media.
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PASSAGE TWO OF THE DAY: "He (Defence Attorney Charles H. Rittgers) argued throughout that Richardson's child had been stillborn, that symptoms of an eating disorder prevented her from recognizing signs of her pregnancy for months and that she went through the birth and burial alone out of fear. He can’t launch a civil suit against the prosecution or media in retaliation, but he would like to, he said. “I would love to sue a few of the national media outlets that said she bashed her baby’s skull and stuff,” he said. “I think that was that Nancy Grace show or whatever. That was atrocious, and it was a week before trial. It’s crazy.”Richardson was convicted of only one crime Thursday: Abuse of a corpse, punishable by up to a year in prison. Rittgers said she could return to college after serving her sentence. Charles M. Rittgers added he hopes Richardson will receive more treatment for her eating disorder, which the defense argued had contributed to her child’s stillbirth."
STORY: "Defense: Brooke Skylar Richardson was 'overcharged from the get-go' by overzealous prosecution," by WCPO staff, published by WCPO on Sept. 12, 2019.
GIST: "Defense attorney Charles H. Rittgers blamed an overzealous prosecution,
media attention and experts’ misinformation for creating an uphill
battle in the trial of Brooke Skylar Richardson, who was Thursday
found not guilty of aggravated murder, manslaughter and child endangerment
in the 2017 death of her newborn daughter. According to him, they were charges she never should have faced at all. “This
was well overcharged from the get-go, and it was so juicy for the
government to think that oh, not only did she murder her baby but she
burned her baby, which tainted the whole jury pool, which is exactly
what we were afraid of,” he said. “Ever since her indictment and ever
since that news conference, we thought we were in a hole. And it was a
really deep hole in our opinion.”
Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell claimed in 2017, shortly after then-18-year-old Richardson’s arrest, that she had concealed her pregnancy before killing, burning and burying her child May 7. The burning, he said then, was so severe that experts might never know the exact cause of death. Although Richardson said in a police interview she had tried to cremate the baby “a little bit," later medical examinations would conclude the remains showed no evidence of burning. Rittgers said her confession to police was coerced. Rittgers, who defended Richardson alongside son Charles M. Rittgers, characterized the case as one tainted by prosecutors’ unproven assertions and the attention of the media. He argued throughout that Richardson's child had been stillborn, that symptoms of an eating disorder prevented her from recognizing signs of her pregnancy for months and that she went through the birth and burial alone out of fear. He can’t launch a civil suit against the prosecution or media in retaliation, but he would like to, he said. “I would love to sue a few of the national media outlets that said she bashed her baby’s skull and stuff,” he said. “I think that was that Nancy Grace show or whatever. That was atrocious, and it was a week before trial. It’s crazy.” Richardson was convicted of only one crime Thursday: Abuse of a corpse, punishable by up to a year in prison. Rittgers said she could return to college after serving her sentence. Charles M. Rittgers added he hopes Richardson will receive more treatment for her eating disorder, which the defense argued had contributed to her child’s stillbirth. Although abuse of a corpse is an offense that can be sealed after a three-year period, he acknowledged the public way the case unfolded would continue to shape her life. “As time goes by, you live a different life, and hopefully this can be pushed farther in her past,” he said. “Even an acquittal on all four counts, it would be something that Skylar is going to have to live with for the rest of her life.” Another reporter asked: Is Richardson relieved? “What do you think?” Charles H. Rittgers said. “Come on? Seriously? She was facing life in prison and she’s now looking at maybe a six-month sentence maximum.”
Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell claimed in 2017, shortly after then-18-year-old Richardson’s arrest, that she had concealed her pregnancy before killing, burning and burying her child May 7. The burning, he said then, was so severe that experts might never know the exact cause of death. Although Richardson said in a police interview she had tried to cremate the baby “a little bit," later medical examinations would conclude the remains showed no evidence of burning. Rittgers said her confession to police was coerced. Rittgers, who defended Richardson alongside son Charles M. Rittgers, characterized the case as one tainted by prosecutors’ unproven assertions and the attention of the media. He argued throughout that Richardson's child had been stillborn, that symptoms of an eating disorder prevented her from recognizing signs of her pregnancy for months and that she went through the birth and burial alone out of fear. He can’t launch a civil suit against the prosecution or media in retaliation, but he would like to, he said. “I would love to sue a few of the national media outlets that said she bashed her baby’s skull and stuff,” he said. “I think that was that Nancy Grace show or whatever. That was atrocious, and it was a week before trial. It’s crazy.” Richardson was convicted of only one crime Thursday: Abuse of a corpse, punishable by up to a year in prison. Rittgers said she could return to college after serving her sentence. Charles M. Rittgers added he hopes Richardson will receive more treatment for her eating disorder, which the defense argued had contributed to her child’s stillbirth. Although abuse of a corpse is an offense that can be sealed after a three-year period, he acknowledged the public way the case unfolded would continue to shape her life. “As time goes by, you live a different life, and hopefully this can be pushed farther in her past,” he said. “Even an acquittal on all four counts, it would be something that Skylar is going to have to live with for the rest of her life.” Another reporter asked: Is Richardson relieved? “What do you think?” Charles H. Rittgers said. “Come on? Seriously? She was facing life in prison and she’s now looking at maybe a six-month sentence maximum.”
The entire story can be read at:
https://www.wcpo.com/news/crime/defense-brook-skylar-richardson-was-overcharged-from-the-get-go-by-overzealous-prosecutionPUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
