Jury selection begins for mom in buried baby murder case

LEBANON, Ohio (AP) — Jury selection has begun for the murder trial of an Ohio woman accused of killing and burying her newborn daughter.

Attorneys will question potential jurors Tuesday about their knowledge and opinions about the high-profile case of 20-year-old Brooke Skylar Richardson.

She stood up as her attorney introduced her to the jury pool. Both sides gave short outlines of their cases.

The former high school cheerleader pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and other charges. The baby’s remains were found in July 2017 in her family’s backyard in the southwest Ohio village of Carlisle.

Prosecutors say her baby was unwanted; Richardson’s attorneys say the baby was stillborn.

Warren County Judge Donald Oda II twice rejected defense motions to move the trial.

The trial is expected to last two to three weeks.