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Ex cheerleader walks free after newborn murder trial, ‘I’m sorry I can be selfish’.

Christopher Koulouris: About author bio at bottom of article.
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Brooke Richardson probation
Brooke Richardson probation. Pictured the former Ohio cheerleader as she was set free. Image via social media.
Brooke Richardson probation
Brooke Richardson probation. Pictured the former Ohio cheerleader as she was set free. Image via social media.

Brooke Richardson probation: former Ohio cheerleader set free after beating murder rap against her as she apologizes, ‘I am sorry. I can sometimes be selfish, but I’m getting better.

Startling pundits and the public at large was the visage of former Ohio cheerleader, Brooke Skylar Richardson walking freely after the 20 year old woman beat a murder rap against her after prosecutors accused her of killing her newborn baby and burying the child in the family backyard.

The Carlisle, Ohio native had faced at least 20 years jail had a court yesterday found her guilty of murder- the most serious charge against her.

Richardson was also acquitted of aggravated murder, involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment charges, with the jury only finding her guilty of one count of gross abuse of a corpse- which could have hypothetically led Richardson being sentenced to one years jail. Instead the woman was sentenced to 3 years probation- a sentencing which has led to many observers wincing.

During Friday morning’s sentencing, Judge Donald Oda along with placing the former cheerleader on probation, ordered Richardson to seven days in county jail, a nominal jail term the 20 year old sidestepped with time already served.

A violation of probation, could see Richardson being locked up for up to a year in jail People reported.

Brooke Richardson probation 

Prior to Friday morning’s sentencing, the 20 year old who had become the focus of national spotlight – as many wondered the fate of the socially gregarious cheerleader who had involuntarily found herself becoming pregnant and ‘never wanting’ the child – addressed the court.

Explained Richardson, ‘I am sorry. I can sometimes be selfish, but I’m getting better. I’m forever sorry.’

Adding, ‘I’ve hurt a lot of people. I am really, really sorry. And I understand.’ 

Richardson’s father, Scott Richardson, also addressed the court and asked for his daughter to be released.

‘My daughter is suffering from an eating disorder and we are concerned about her health,’ he said.

Told Judge Oda prior to deciding to releasing the quixotic photogenic blonde, ‘I believe if you had made different decisions, Annabelle would still be here.’

Adding, ‘I think that your choices before birth, during birth and after birth show a grotesque disregard for life.’

Offered the mother of Richardson’s former boyfriend Trey Johnson in a statement, ‘Not only did I lose my first grandchild, but my baby boy lost his daughter.

Added the mother, ‘For a baby that she called ‘it,’ we’re just as much the family as she is’.

‘I’ve watched my son become a different person,’ she continued. ‘I won’t disclose his medical diagnosis because she’s done enough to him. I can personally tell you that I’ve personally been seen for depression, panic attacks, and I’m a shell of the person I was.’

Did a former cheerleader get away with murder? 

Prosecutors alleged that Richardson had no intention of keeping the child when she secretly went into labor in the middle of the night. She was accused of killing the full-term baby, then burying the newborn in her parents’ backyard.

Richardson’s legal team, however, denied that she killed the baby, claiming that the child was stillborn. Ultimately the jury had no choice but to acquit Richardson after an autopsy was unable to determine the child’s cause of death – which would have indicated whether the newborn had indeed been murdered. 

Her lawyers said the 20-year-old’s health has deteriorated throughout the trial — and that she is down to 89 pounds and losing her hair, according to WLWT.

‘She was living under this dark cloud for the past two years. Living a — quite frankly — a nightmare and hopefully now that this is behind her, hopefully she will get help,’ said Charles H. Rittgers, the elder of the young woman’s father-and-son legal team.

And then there were these responses on social media that made this author wonder. See what you think?

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