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On Thursday, Reyes began to cry as she stated her name for the courtroom after she took the witness stand. . . .

Prosecutors told the jury that Reyes has rejected any and all plea deal offers made to her by the state.

Reyes responded by saying she was not testifying to get a better plea deal, she said she rejected everything because she said she is not guilty. . . .

. . . Reyes' testimony about Skiba's first few years of life and the time period they lived with Richardson . . . Reyes described one incident during that time period, where her daughter got a cut on her head when Richardson was taking care of her while Reyes was at the store.

The jury also learned that Reyes knew about some abuse to her daughter before the actual crime had even occurred.

"He had told me that he had whipped her for throwing up on his chair," she said.

Since Skiba's death, Reyes has had another child, a now 8-month-old baby girl. . . .

. . . the judge briefly put the trial on hold in order to investigate comments made to jurors outside of the courtroom Wednesday.

While jurors were out to lunch, a bystander allegedly walked up to some of them and said "you need to find him guilty," referring to Richardson.

The bystander also yelled to jurors, "He's guilty; I don't care what y'all say," as they got into a car after their break from court. . . .Richardson's defense team motioned for a mistrial. The request was denied . . .
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9464870

There are some photos from the trial at the above link.
 
Defense attorneys trying to keep Jonathan Douglas Richardson off death row say the alleged physical abuse of Teghan Skiba started long before the 4-year-old's death nearly four years ago and that the child's mother knew about it and approved of it. . . .

Teghan's maternal aunt, who said the child's mother, Helen Reyes, was a kind mother who loved her daughter very much. . . .

The extent to which Helen Reyes – who could testify this week – would punish her daughter, Maira Reyes said, would be time out or a pop with the hand on the child's bottom. . . .

Helen Reyes, they say, had other child care options but chose to leave Teghan with him.

By July 2010, however, Helen Reyes' relationship with Richardson had become a source of tension for her family, Maira Reyes said, and her sister and Teghan had moved out of her mother's house following a disagreement.

Richardson's second-cousin, Matthew Daughtry, testified Tuesday, describing Helen Reyes as being very quiet.

"Jonathan would yell at Helen. It would escalate to cussing," he said. "I never saw anything physical – but (there was) verbal abuse." . . .

He stopped hanging out with Richardson in spring 2010 when Richardson began drinking heavily and started using his property without permission.

Daughtry said he was also upset by Richardson’s rude behavior toward his grandparents, especially when they would tell him to do something.
http://www.wral.com/teghan-skiba-s-mom-described-as-kind-loving/13469625/
 
More of Helen Reyes testimony:

In court Friday, prosecutors showed photos of the little girl with a black eye she allegedly got from Richardson about a month before her death.

Reyes said she almost broke up with her boyfriend over the incident, but later decided to stay.

The photo of the black eye is one the 30 photos at the link in my previous post - #62. It's also available at this link--same reporting agency.

A video of the girl inside the shed allegedly showed her begging Richardson not to hurt her.

Richardson' defense team objected Friday to it being shown, but sources tell ABC11 that the video shows the 4-year-old against a wall begging for Richardson not to hurt her, and telling him she won't go to the bathroom accidently anymore.

Besides the photo of Skiba with a black eye, the jury did see a picture of the girl holding a beer and a cigarette in her hands.
This photo is also part of those available at the link.

Reyes said she did not know Richardson was joking when he sent her the photo.

On Thursday, jurors learned Reyes knew about some of the abuse her daughter endured before the actual crime had even occurred. . . .

Reyes admitted she was wrong to leave Skiba in Richardson's care.

"I never should have left her alone, I made a mistake...I live with this every day of my life, I miss her every single day. Every day I wish I could hold her," she said. "I was wrong...I see it."
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9466221
 
She [Reyes] described her relationship with Teghan’s father, Jerry Skiba, whom she met at an Applebee's in 2005. After Teghan was born, Reyes said, Jerry Skiba became violent, and the two split.

She said she was single until she met Richardson.

"I cared about him," Reyes said. "I felt I was in love with him, or falling in love with him."

She said Richardson was a father figure to Teghan and taught the girl how to hook minnows for fishing. . . .

Another time, Teghan’s eye was hurt during a trip to the beach.

“He told me there was a wave that came and ended up hitting her eye,” said Reyes . . .

Reyes also testified that she returned home once to find welts on Teghan.

“I went inside and grabbed her and held her and told her that I loved her,” Reyes said, crying. “He told me that he had whipped her for throwing up on his chair…he had whipped her with a power cord.”

She said she was outraged and told Richardson never to touch Teghan again.

The couple’s tumultuous relationship continued, and Richardson tried to call it off several months before Teghan’s death. In court, Reyes read aloud part of a love letter she had written to Richardson at the time: “If I tell you I love you too much, then tell me and I’ll tone it down. You have shown me what it means to be truly loved and treated well.”

Richardson showed no emotion as Reyes read the letter. When Butler, the prosecutor, asked Reyes why she stayed, she said, “He was stern with her at times, but he showed that he loved and cared for her.”

Reyes said she left Teghan with Richardson during her training because he volunteered to take care of the child, saying that his grandmother would help while he was at work.

“I trusted him, and I trusted his word,” Reyes said. “(Teghan) said she really liked him and that she wanted him to be her dad.”

For the first time in the nearly three-week trial, Richardson reacted. His eyes reddened and he wiped them.
http://www.wral.com/woman-testifies...end-accused-of-killing-her-daughter/13475874/

Helen has a type. I hope her new baby's father isn't true to it, or in the picture if so.

He wanted out of the relationship and she begged him to stay?!!! I wonder if this was before or after he hit Teghan the first time.

And WTF is his excuse then, to explain away why he never called on his grandmother for help? Or did Helen Reyes ever call her to see how things were going? And if he treated them so well, and laid off hitting Teghan after being warned to, why then did he start again while Reyes was at training?
 
A Smithfield man . . . was recorded on security video buying first-aid supplies at a local Walmart hours before he ended up taking the child to an emergency room for injuries witnesses in his capital murder trial have described as horrifying. . . .

Johnston County sheriff's investigator Michael Lambert said the early-morning shopping trip happened at 2 a.m., three days before the girl's death.

Lambert testified that Teghan was not with Richardson in the video, nor was she with him in several other security videos of the 25-year-old buying various other items ranging from an air mattress to beer.
http://www.wral.com/4-year-old-s-al...-aid-supplies-before-hospital-visit/13487837/

So, we can infer he was leaving her alone. Because if his grandmother had her . . .

Daylong, graphic testimony from a pediatrician who specializes in child physical and sexual abuse ended with the state showing jurors a video of Teghan Skiba – dressed in a pink shirt and dark pants with her arms outstretched – facing a wall and repeating a half-dozen times, "When I have to pee, I promise I will tell someone."

Jurors then heard the sound of a man on the video that prosecutors say is Jonathan Douglas Richardson yelling for the child to speak up.

Apparently stressed, she speaks up and repeats the phrase four more times. . . .

The 37-second video, taken at 2:31 a.m. on July 10, 2010 . . .

The state contends it was the last image of Teghan conscious and alive.
http://www.wral.com/video-of-teghan-skiba-days-before-death-leaves-jurors-shaken/13490738/

No mention of her condition in that video.
 
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http://www.wral.com/woman-testifies...end-accused-of-killing-her-daughter/13475874/

Helen has a type. I hope her new baby's father isn't true to it, or in the picture if so.

He wanted out of the relationship and she begged him to stay?!!! I wonder if this was before or after he hit Teghan the first time.

And WTF is his excuse then, to explain away why he never called on his grandmother for help? Or did Helen Reyes ever call her to see how things were going? And if he treated them so well, and laid off hitting Teghan after being warned to, why then did he start again while Reyes was at training?
I don't think Reyes ever told him to lay off.

She got home after he whipped her with an extension cord and was livid but only told him to not to ever touch her again? That's not livid to me; just imagining someone doing that to my babies gives me rage.

Fucking dick worshipper is what she is. She begged him not to leave her?? Did she not know that there are plenty of non psychotic men out there.
 
If his excuse all through this is that he didn't know how to raise a child, I would have to respond that he had months of observation of how Reyes did it to call on. Not to mention, one supposes, his grandparents.

So . . . he knew not to whip her with an electrical cord--and ignored that--and not to hit her--and ignored that, too--but maybe he didn't know not to bite her, or use a rod as a beating object. Right. I think it's a flimsy excuse. Rage? Obviously. But I also bet he was out to prove something he couldn't while mom was looking too closely.

I can't wait to hear all about it and how they're going to counter the sexual charges.
 
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Found more, this time Richardson's defense:
The July 16, 2010 video, played outside the presence of the jury, was taken in an interrogation room at the Johnston County Sheriff's Office after Richardson was taken into custody.

It was the same day he took the child, unconscious and near death, to a local emergency room.

In the video, a tearful Richardson is on his cellphone talking to Teghan's mother and his girlfriend of 6 months – Helen Reyes – about how much he adored the child. . . .

"I wanted to have kids with you when you got home, because I loved being around her so much," Richardson cries. "I loved her to death, Helen. I do, and I would never intentionally hurt her."

He goes on to say he wanted to raise a family and be a good father to Teghan.

"She's never had a father, and the way she's warmed up to me, she loves me so much," he said.

Richardson continues, saying he popped Teghan on the leg for misbehaving and was surprised when detectives told him she had broken bones. . . .

Richardson, in the video, also talks about needing help.

"You know my mind is messed up, don't you?" he asked Reyes. "You even said."

Sobbing, he tells Reyes that it was all an accident.

"Helen, I just want to tell you that I didn't mean to do it, and I didn't hurt her head," he said.

But Lock ruled the phone conversation was hearsay because the full conversation between Richardson and Reyes couldn't be heard.

Jurors ended up not seeing the video.
http://www.wral.com/-i-loved-her-to...lleged-killer-says-in-police-video-/13494533/
Wednesday, the defense tried to establish his state of mind, and tried to enter into evidence a phone call Richardson made while in jail.

In the call, Richardson apparently broke down and said he loved Teghan and her mother. He also said he didn't cause the little girl's injuries.

The judge refused to allow the call as evidence, however.

Thursday, defense attorneys put an expert witness of their own on the stand. A forensic psychiatrist told a courtroom that Richardson suffered from anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and had other issues and was stressed when he allegedly tortured and murdered Skiba.

"The chronic depression it just contributed to his irritability on that day. Thirdly, the stress he's under is important. He was having again some financial stresses and the stresses of taking care of Teghan...those stresses of being away from Ms. Reyes at that period of time...the stresses of working and kind of getting in trouble when he wasn't showing up for work...and so all of those things contributed on that day to this crime," said Dr. Donna Schwartz-Watts.

The judge ruled the defense's expert could not give her opinion on what and why Skiba died, because her opinion could be taken into account if Richardson is convicted.

The doctor also said Richardson did not suffer from any mental illness other than depression or have special needs.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=9472828

I don't believe that depression is going to be enough of a defense. Depression isn't a mental deficiency really. And why wasn't he showing up for work? Because he was having a time beating on a little girl, that's why.

The defense rested Friday in the capital murder case of Jonathan Douglas Richardson. . . . Closing arguments will begin at 9:30 a.m. Monday in the trial, which is now its fourth week.

No witnesses took the stand Friday morning, and jurors spent most of that time outside the courtroom.
http://www.wral.com/defense-rests-in-johnston-county-child-slaying-case/13499884/

Apparently, that's all they have. Weak.
 
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I've seen a lot of child abuse cases featured in the news--any one who stops by here more than once will soon understand how horrifyingly common these articles can be. So many victims, so many violent and unnecessary deaths among our most innocent. Each story shows how humanity can reflect nightmares. But I know a lot of us have become somewhat jaded by now, and I've even begun to notice some things that show up in nearly every story, almost a collection of abusive cliches.

One of the most common quotes seen in these articles are from the doctors and/or detectives who testify this case or that case is the "worst" they've ever seen in x-years/career.

Reading through the articles that have been reporting this trial, I have never heard of more intense reactions both at the time of the crime and now. The nurse who literally attacked Richardson, the dentist who admitted praying immediately for Teghan's death, and the repeated testimony of shock and sorrow for Teghan from other doctors and investigators--I've never seen this scale of emotion. I realize that there are emotional reactions in EVERY child abuse death, but the usual scenario actually making it to the record is a very neutral portrayal.

I've followed this case since it was first reported, and from the beginning I knew that it was one of the more tragic ones. However, now I'm pretty sure that this one has actually been one of the worst. For every small fact or evidence that we are being shown from the media, there are probably a dozen further facts behind it.

Such graphic and intense testimony may make it very likely to successfully show that the death penalty is a very apt sentence.
 
Weren't they living in a shack on Richardson's parent's property? What the hell kind of people allow a four year old girl to live in a shack on their property that has no running water, etc.? I wish there was some way to charge them too.
 
"I loved her to death, Helen.''

I look at that sweet little girl's photo and I see her with duct tape over her mouth so she can't scream while that bastard bites her, and bites her, and bites her.


Death is too good for that POS. He should be tortured. And tortured. And tortured. Kept alive in a perpetual state of agony.
 
The summaries:

Jonathan Douglas Richardson satisfied over and over his "sadistic desires" on 4-year-old Teghan Skiba for the 10 days in 2010 that he kept her confined to a small shed that doubled as his torture chamber, prosecutors told jurors . . .

[Defense attorney Jonathan Broun] urged jurors to put aside their "natural and understandable instincts about what happened" and to apply the law to the facts in the case.

When they do, he added, they will see that the child's death was the result of a combination of Richardson's inexperience with children, his own experiences of being abused as a child, undiagnosed mental disorders and his inability to control his anger. . . .

"As bad as it was – and I'm not telling you that it was, it was awful – what actually ended her life was a blow to the head," defense attorney Mike Klinkosum said. "One quick action, one quick force that ended her life."

But Jackson quipped at the contention, saying nothing minimized Richardson's culpability for the crimes.

"It's easy to forget what this is about when you listen to them talk about what really is no defense," he said.

"The only way you can find this defendant not guilty is through fantastic leaps of the imagination," he added. "The only way you can find him not guilty is if you check your common sense at the door."
http://www.wral.com/-sadistic-desires-led-to-4-year-old-s-murder-state-says/13506282/

It doesn't sound like the defense did anything to refute the evidence, except deny it and minimize it. Hopefully, we'll see a big, fat guilty verdict tomorrow.
 
"One quick action, one quick force that ended her life."

Is he trying to make it sound like that prick was somehow merciful in that he decided she had suffered enough, so he ended her life (and suffering) with ''one quick action, one quick force''????

I know these pond scum have to be defended, or there would be no 'justice'. But I honestly don't know how the lawyers who defend monsters like Richardson can sleep at night. Especially if they have kids of their own. How could they look at their own kids after seeing photo's and hearing evidence of what children like little Teghan went through, and knowing that they are DEFENDING the person who did those things? Making excuses for them, minimising what the child suffered.

I couldn't do it. Not for any pay packet.
 
Me neither Marv. Plus is wasn't one quick action that ended her life was it? She died in hospital afterwards. So not even an accurate defense anyway!
 
The "one quick action" statement is supposed to make us think that all the abuse and pain was not why she died--it was only from a quick bang of the head--which could have happened all too easily to anyone shoving around a tiny child. He clearly didn't mean to kill her by shoving her head against the wall. Right?
 
After a four-week trial, jurors needed a little more than an hour to decide that Jonathan Douglas Richardson was guilty of kidnapping, sexually and physically abusing and murdering 4-year-old Teghan Skiba.

Jurors began deliberating late Tuesday morning. Shortly after noon, they had made their decision: guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, sexual offense with a child and felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury. Richardson showed no emotion as the verdicts were read in succession.

The trial will continue Wednesday afternoon, as prosecutors and defense attorneys begin to argue whether Richardson should be put to death. The trial will then be put on hold on Thursday, continue Friday morning and likely last into next week.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/03/25/3732469/jury-finds-jonathan-richardson.html?sp=/99/102/
 
I hate to rag on a military mom, but going to live in a barn and then leaving your child there while you deploy?! That's a highly questionable move. (At least it wasn't for a long overseas deployment.)

This male parasite has some gall, raping and torturing that poor child right in his grandparents' back yard. Not to mention his criminal lack of foresight in recognizing the jig would be up when his girlfriend got home. I just can't fathom that some guys (in this case) can't seem to see past the end of their own scummy noses (or pubes, as the case may be). No concept of the future. No concern for "what will the neighbors say". No regard for other people's feelings, pain, and suffering.
Men want what they want and usually try to go after it, whether good or bad. This 4 yr old girl was no challenge for a grown man and he took and did what he wanted cause AT THE TIME, he got away with it.
 
— The wounds that covered the 40-pound body of Teghan Skiba were so severe that they were "textbook examples" of torture, a forensic pediatrician testified Wednesday – a day after a jury found the girl's mother's boyfriend guilty of murdering the child nearly four years ago.
"She had 144 injuries," Dr. Sharon Cooper said during graphic testimony in the sentencing phase of Jonathan Douglas Richardson's capital murder trial. "That is an extraordinarily high number, and these are not the type of injuries that would typically occur with a one-time loss of control."
[...]
http://www.wral.com/teghan-skiba-s-wounds-were-textbook-examples-of-torture-says-expert/13515477/
 
We already know this, but GOOD to see it in black and white. This POS let that monster beat on her child. GIVE ME FIVE WITH HER!!
So she leaves and doesn't place Teghan with her grandparents as SHE planned??!! why? it's like she wanted her daughter to suffer and die by this fuckers hands. She knew the asswipe was beating her, so the way I see it she did this knowingly and willingly therefore, IMO, she deserves the same punishment as baby killer.

The grandparents wanted custody of Teghan and express a deep remorse for her loss. One question I have is, why did they never report abuse/neglect to CSP? Not one report was made. That might have helped their case in getting custody of Teghan.

I have no thanks for the posts/info above, so thanks but it blows my mind reading on this horror. Tundra thanks for the photo link on Teghan. Tried to post them here, but no luck. Dont' forget to view them, keep little Teghan's memory alive!
TEGHAN SKIBA SLIDESHOW
That was hard to watch. To see her happy and alive, knowing she's gone and had to go through so much pain and terror first.
 
I hope they cremate him without executing him first.
Nah. That's too quick. One breath and his lungs will sear as his sensory nerves are burned from his skin. He'd be unconscious within seconds, dead soon after, and crispy within minutes. In a few hours he'd be down to ash and a few chunks of calcined bone.
All in all, too good for him.
 
Nah. That's too quick. One breath and his lungs will sear as his sensory nerves are burned from his skin. He'd be unconscious within seconds, dead soon after, and crispy within minutes. In a few hours he'd be down to ash and a few chunks of calcined bone.
All in all, too good for him.


Well they don't have to do it in a real crematorium, a low bonfire will do the job just as well, only much more slowly.
 
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