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Protesters push for teen cheerleader accused of killing and burning newborn to sit in jail while awaiting trial
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An 18-year-old Ohio teen accused of killing her own baby is scheduled for trial soon, but while she remains free until it starts, protesters would rather see her wait her time out in jail.

WLWT reports that Brooke Skylar Richardson, of Lebanon, appeared in court on Tuesday for a pretrial hearing before Judge Don Oda, who scheduled the trial to start in early November. Richardson is accused of giving birth to a baby girl, then burning and disposing of the infant outside of her family’s home in Carlisle, on July 14.

Two people stood outside of the courthouse on Tuesday, protesting for “Baby Carlisle,” a name they gave the deceased infant. Cherie Young, one of the protesters, was apparently upset that Richardson was out of jail on bail. Richardson currently wears an ankle monitor as part of her bail agreement.

“We’re here to make a stand, to make sure justice is served. She needs to be sitting in jail until she is sentenced for this.”

The other protester, Karen Miller, said she doesn’t believe in abortion, but admitted that she thought Richardson should have considered the option instead of reportedly killing a full-term baby. She also mentioned that Richardson failed to consider adoption, when “thousands” of people are waiting to adopt a baby.

“I don’t really believe in abortion, but I really feel that would have been a better option early on, and there are thousands of people who would love to adopt.”

Richardson is scheduled to appear back in court on Thursday. Until then, the judge placed a gag order on the case, restricting Richardson and her family from speaking publicly about it.

Earlier this year, medical and forensic experts revealed that the infant was likely born alive in May, and that someone killed the baby before burying her. Richardson’s lawyer, Charlie Rittgers, told the court that his client didn’t murder the baby. However, prosecutors contend that Richardson hid her pregnancy for nine months, then shortly after giving birth, murdered her baby because she was obssessed with “outward appearances” and didn’t want her peers to know she had gotten pregnant.

Check back with Crime Online as additional details become available.

[Feature Photo: Police Handout]