The Case Against Brooke Skylar Richardson

Episode of 48 Hours · April 2, 2026 · 41 min

Erin Moriarty reports on Brooke Skylar Richardson's Ohio trial for the death of her newborn, featuring her parents, attorneys and investigators.

Summary

This classic "48 Hours" episode, reported by CBS News correspondent Erin Moriarty, recounted the case of Brooke Skylar Richardson, an 18-year-old from Carlisle, Ohio, who secretly gave birth in her family bathroom in May 2017 and buried the infant in the backyard. Her parents, Kim and Scott Richardson, described learning of the pregnancy only after police summoned their daughter for questioning in July 2017, and said they had not noticed she was pregnant. Kim Richardson described her daughter's long-standing eating disorder and body dysmorphia diagnosis, which she said dominated Skylar's life.

The program detailed two police interrogations conducted by Lieutenant John Faine and Detective Brandy Carter, in which Richardson first said the baby was stillborn and later said she may have heard a gurgle and attempted to burn the remains. Forensic anthropologist Elizabeth Murray had initially reported the bones showed evidence of burning, but later retracted that finding. Defense attorneys Charles H. and Charles M. Rittgers argued this was a false confession case and that the retraction had already tainted the jury pool; prosecutor David Fornshell did not withdraw the aggravated murder charge, and Richardson rejected a plea offer.

At the September 2019 trial, prosecutors Steven Knippen and Julie Kraft argued Richardson killed an unwanted baby to protect her appearance, citing text messages about her stomach sent hours after the birth. Under cross-examination, state witnesses including assistant coroner Susan Brown conceded there was no physical evidence of a live birth, trauma or burning. Defense obstetrician John White testified the baby was stillborn, and psychologist Stuart Bassman testified Richardson had a disorder predisposing her to comply with authority figures. Faine rejected suggestions of coercion.

The jury acquitted Richardson of aggravated murder, involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment after roughly four hours, convicting her only of gross abuse of a corpse. Judge Oda told her that different decisions would have meant Annabelle would still be alive and sentenced her to three years' probation. Richardson entered an eating disorder treatment program, and the infant's remains were returned to the family.

Chapters

0:13
A town divided and a family under siege
Erin Moriarty introduces the case and Kim and Scott Richardson describe the media frenzy, public hostility and their regret at cooperating with police.
4:00
Skylar's childhood and eating disorder
Kim Richardson recounts her daughter's cheerleading, weight obsession and body dysmorphia diagnosis beginning in sixth grade.
6:24
A hidden pregnancy
Skylar learns at an April 2017 gynecologist visit that she is eight months pregnant, tells no one, and attends prom in her fitted gown.
8:41
The first interrogation
Police question Skylar after an OB-GYN tip; she says she delivered a stillborn baby and buried it in the backyard, and her parents learn the truth.
13:39
The second interrogation and arrest
Confronted with a report that the bones were burned, Skylar changes her account and says the baby may have gurgled, leading to her arrest and indictment.
16:28
Indictment, publicity and the retraction
Prosecutor David Fornshell announces aggravated murder charges, the family faces public vilification, and forensic anthropologist Elizabeth Murray retracts her burning finding.
22:28
Rejecting the plea offer
With the state offering to drop aggravated murder, Skylar decides not to plead guilty to something she says she did not do.
24:02
The state's case at trial
Prosecutors quote Skylar's text messages about her appearance, while the coroner concedes there is no physical proof of a live birth.
30:21
The defense case
Obstetrician John White testifies the baby was stillborn and psychologist Stuart Bassman describes Skylar's susceptibility to authority and false confession.
33:13
Verdict and sentencing
The jury acquits Richardson of the homicide counts but convicts her of gross abuse of a corpse; the judge sentences her to three years' probation.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Kim Richardson
Kim Richardson said the case drew overwhelming public attention and that the family lost all privacy.
“I felt like Super Bowl level. It was like the world stopped. Everyone wanted to know what was going on in our backyard”
Listen from 1:04 · Social media harassment
Scott Richardson
Scott Richardson said cooperating with police turned out to be a mistake.
“We thought we were doing the right thing by cooperating”
Listen from 1:52 · Police interrogation tactics
Kim Richardson
Kim Richardson characterized her daughter's conduct as a poor choice following a stillbirth rather than a killing.
“She had a stillborn, and she made a poor choice after that”
Listen from 2:35 · Brooke Skylar Richardson trial
Linked moment · 4:00Skip to 4:00 using a listen link in the info box.
Kim Richardson
Kim Richardson estimated that her daughter's weight and eating dominated nearly all of her life.
“Oh, 95%. That is her life. This is her at a very scary point”
Listen from 4:48 · Eating disorders
Kim Richardson
Kim Richardson said she first noticed the eating disorder when Skylar refused gum over its calorie content at age 12.
“12 years old, she wouldn't buy gum because it had five calories. I didn't even know gum had calories”
Listen from 5:02 · Eating disorders
Scott Richardson
Scott Richardson called driving his daughter to the police station the biggest mistake of his life.
“I mean, honestly I can look back, that's the biggest mistake I've made in my entire life”
Listen from 9:17 · Police interrogation tactics
David Fornshell
Prosecutor David Fornshell alleged Richardson caused the infant's death, burned the body and buried it.
“She caused the death of that infant, burned the infant, and buried the infant”
Listen from 17:13 · Brooke Skylar Richardson trial
David Fornshell
Fornshell said the motive was the family's obsession with appearances.
“Skylar and her family were pretty obsessed with external appearances”
Listen from 17:24 · Brooke Skylar Richardson trial
Kim Richardson
Kim Richardson recounted that her daughter refused the plea offer because she would not plead to something she did not do.
“I'm not going to play to something that I didn't do. And in my heart, I got sick, but it has to be her decision”
Listen from 23:24 · Plea bargaining
John White
Obstetrician John White testified that the infant's unusually white appearance was inconsistent with a healthy live newborn.
“She described Annabelle's appearance as being really white. And in my experience, when you deliver a healthy newborn, they're almost purple”
Listen from 30:54 · Stillbirth
John White
White testified that fetal growth restriction raises the risk of fetal or neonatal death.
“Fetal growth restriction increases the risks of intrauterine demise or neonatal death”
Listen from 31:29 · Fetal growth restriction
Stuart Bassman
Psychologist Stuart Bassman testified that Richardson has a mental disorder predisposing her to comply with authority figures.
“It is my opinion that Skylar Richardson suffers from a mental disorder that predisposes her to comply to people in authority”
Listen from 31:55 · False confession
David Fornshell
After the verdict, Fornshell said Richardson's own conduct prevented an autopsy and that she seemed rewarded by it.
“Brooke Richardson created the situation that prevented us from being able to conduct an autopsy on that baby girl. And in a sense, it feels like that she's been rewarded”
Listen from 37:19 · Brooke Skylar Richardson trial
Scott Richardson
Scott Richardson said prosecutors seemed incapable of admitting their mistake and that he did not need an apology.
“it's pretty clear at this point, they didn't make the right decision. And it was almost like they were incapable of admitting they made a mistake”
Listen from 37:40 · Brooke Skylar Richardson trial
Kim Richardson
Kim Richardson said her daughter's eating disorder is a lifelong illness.
“It's a lifelong illness. She'll have this all of her life”
Listen from 40:37 · Eating disorders

People

In the conversation

Erin MoriartyCBS News correspondent for '48 Hours' who reported and narrated the episode
Kim Richardson
Scott Richardson
John White
Stuart Bassman

Discussed

Brooke Skylar RichardsonOhio woman acquitted of aggravated murder in the 2017 death of her newborn daughter
Elizabeth MurrayForensic anthropologist who initially reported the infant's bones were burned and later retracted the finding
Brandy CarterDetective who participated in the second interrogation of Skylar Richardson
David FornshellWarren County, Ohio prosecutor who charged Richardson with aggravated murder
Donald Oda IIWarren County judge who presided over the trial and sentenced Richardson
Jackson RichardsonSkylar Richardson's brother, a high school football player

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From the publisher

In April 2017, Brooke Skylar Richardson, learned she was pregnant and told no one. In July 2017, she visited an OB-GYN, told the doctors her baby was stillborn, and that she buried the body in the backyard of the family home. The doctors notified authorities and she was charged with a number of counts, including aggravated murder. “48 Hours" Correspondent Erin Moriarty reports. This classic "48 Hours" episode last aired on 5/23/2020. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays and stream on demand on Paramount+.

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 27, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: True Crime·Documentary·Government