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Saving Skylar:The Brooke Skylar Richardson case
The case of Brooke Skylar Richardson, a Carlisle, Ohio teenager, dominated world headlines for more than three years. Authorities alleged that Skylar, an eighteen-year-old high school honors student and cheerleader who had no idea she was pregnant for months, quietly gave birth to her daughter, Annabelle, in May 2017, hours after her high school prom and then killed, burned, and buried her in the backyard of her family’s home.
Sonia Chopra, the only reporter who interviewed Skylar, found her to be a frightened, traumatized teen who struggled with eating disorders, survived a sexual assault in eighth grade and relentless bullying, and was now coping with grief after losing a baby whose growth was likely stunted by her disease. While taking others behind the sensational headlines, Chopra highlights Skylar’s side of the story and her quest for justice as her two attorneys tenaciously battled to save her from life in prison without the possibility of parole and faced the challenges of defending a naïve teen who falsely confessed to police. Was it murder or a medical tragedy?
Saving Skylar shares the true story of the criminal case filed against Brooke Skylar Richardson, a Carlisle, Ohio, teen accused of murdering her newborn in 2017.
Sonia Chopra, the only reporter who interviewed Skylar, found her to be a frightened, traumatized teen who struggled with eating disorders, survived a sexual assault in eighth grade and relentless bullying, and was now coping with grief after losing a baby whose growth was likely stunted by her disease. While taking others behind the sensational headlines, Chopra highlights Skylar’s side of the story and her quest for justice as her two attorneys tenaciously battled to save her from life in prison without the possibility of parole and faced the challenges of defending a naïve teen who falsely confessed to police. Was it murder or a medical tragedy?
Saving Skylar shares the true story of the criminal case filed against Brooke Skylar Richardson, a Carlisle, Ohio, teen accused of murdering her newborn in 2017.
- GenresTrue Crime
203 pages, Paperback
Published May 11, 2022
6 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 7, 2022
Through her detailed and vivid reporting, Chopra tells the sad and disturbing story of Brooke Skylar Richardson, a young woman put on trial in both a courtroom and the court of public opinion, when she gave birth to a stillborn baby and was subsequently accused of murdering it.
The popular honor student and cheerleader, destined it seemed for a successful college experience and career working with children, instead found herself facing daily attacks on social media platforms and a relentless prosecuting attorney, determined to see the teenager behind bars for not only killing a baby that had been born alive, but burning it to death before burying it in the backyard.
Skylar did bury her baby, the baby she named Annabelle Grace, in her backyard. She was in shock, having just given birth, all alone in an upstairs bathroom, her parents, who didn't know she was pregnant, sleeping just a few feet away in their bedroom. But the baby wasn't alive when it was born, and she didn't burn it, although the prosecutors tried, in vain, thankfully to convince the jury that that was the case, based on false testimony from a forensic pathologist.
Chopra obviously believed in Skylar and Skylar trusted Chopra to tell her story. It's not a story with a happy ending necessarily. Skylar was found innocent of all charges except for abuse of a corpse and was sentenced to probation. She's in college, holding down two jobs while maintaining a 4.0 GPA and wants now to be a lawyer, but Chopra writes that "...there are nights she wakes up with chest pains and frightening flashbacks. She is filled with anxiety over things like, will the white teddy bear she placed on Annabelle's grave get dirty if it rains?"
Skyler's is a compelling and heartbreaking story. Kudos to Chopra for telling it, and doing it so well.
The popular honor student and cheerleader, destined it seemed for a successful college experience and career working with children, instead found herself facing daily attacks on social media platforms and a relentless prosecuting attorney, determined to see the teenager behind bars for not only killing a baby that had been born alive, but burning it to death before burying it in the backyard.
Skylar did bury her baby, the baby she named Annabelle Grace, in her backyard. She was in shock, having just given birth, all alone in an upstairs bathroom, her parents, who didn't know she was pregnant, sleeping just a few feet away in their bedroom. But the baby wasn't alive when it was born, and she didn't burn it, although the prosecutors tried, in vain, thankfully to convince the jury that that was the case, based on false testimony from a forensic pathologist.
Chopra obviously believed in Skylar and Skylar trusted Chopra to tell her story. It's not a story with a happy ending necessarily. Skylar was found innocent of all charges except for abuse of a corpse and was sentenced to probation. She's in college, holding down two jobs while maintaining a 4.0 GPA and wants now to be a lawyer, but Chopra writes that "...there are nights she wakes up with chest pains and frightening flashbacks. She is filled with anxiety over things like, will the white teddy bear she placed on Annabelle's grave get dirty if it rains?"
Skyler's is a compelling and heartbreaking story. Kudos to Chopra for telling it, and doing it so well.
January 27, 2023
I love true crime. This story broke my heart over and over. Sonia Chopra thoroughly investigated the details of this case. The Book includes excerpts from interrogations, details from character witnesses and descriptive courtroom scenarios.
This is the story of Brooke Skylar Richardson and the baby she didn't expect and the events that resulted in her arrests and legal delimmas. Chopra describes public, media and social media reactions to the case as well as the turmoil the family endured throughout the ordeal.
Highly recommend to fans of true crime and family drama. A great page-turning read!
This is the story of Brooke Skylar Richardson and the baby she didn't expect and the events that resulted in her arrests and legal delimmas. Chopra describes public, media and social media reactions to the case as well as the turmoil the family endured throughout the ordeal.
Highly recommend to fans of true crime and family drama. A great page-turning read!
July 9, 2023
The author was so biased toward Skylar that it seemed that parts of her life story were missing.An interesting take on this case but you certainly knew where the author stood on this case.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews