Police in Lebanon, Ohio have charged the 18-year-old high school cheerleader with involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment, gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. They say she gave birth to the child in May of this year, before somehow causing its death and then burying the body on her property. The remains were discovered recently, but the level of decay was so advanced that a cause of death has not been determined.The body was also evidently burned. Furthermore, authorities believe that a cause of death may never be known. Currently, medical examiners are working to figure out the gender of the newborn, along with the possible identity of the father.
The state prosecutor on this case believes that the motive in this case was nothing more than "obsession with self image." He believes that the 18-year-old cheerleader "pretty obsessed with external appearances and how she appeared to the outside world." In other words, narcissism could be very much to blame for the senseless death of an innocent child. Meanwhile, it's being noted that nobody else is facing charges in this case. So it's likely that the father of this deceased infant wasn't even aware of its existence. However, detectives believe that some people may have suspected that Brooke Skylar Richardson was pregnant shortly before the birth and death of the infant.
Richardson has been described as a "very good student," and a "very good girl who helped children." She's been touted as a devoted cheerleader who helped children with disabilities. Friends and loved ones are shocked about the discovery of the remains, and the arrest -- and they say that she is handling the arrest "in a way you would expect."