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Man sues after being accused of raping, killing 8-day-old girl

Christopher Richardson, 22, says two police officers subjected him to "long and grueling interrogations," that led to the charges charges against him following his infant daughter's death. Felony murder and criminal sexual conduct charges were dismissed against Richardson in January. (Detroit News)

July 22, 2008 | Permalink

Comments

8 day old infant???

All those even remotely involved in that family needs to be forcibly sterilized with my hob nailed farm boots.

Posted by: Farmer Bob and the City | Jul 22, 2008 10:07:26 AM

He's innocent. If I were those cops, I'd be very afraid. That man might want to follow them home from work one day and really ruin their lives. Let's all hope he wins his lawsuit!

Posted by: Sean, Torrington CT | Jul 22, 2008 10:19:06 AM

Since the charges were dismissed, what *did* the infant die of??

Posted by: Cluckie | Jul 22, 2008 10:20:12 AM

SUE THE HELL OUT OF EVERYONE INVOLVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: | Jul 22, 2008 10:23:43 AM

And I think my family has problems.

Posted by: Torgo | Jul 22, 2008 10:23:55 AM

sean, how do you know he's innocent?

Posted by: lester | Jul 22, 2008 10:24:54 AM

The charges were dropped, therefore he's probably innocent. I'm actually with Sean on this one.

Posted by: thereverendtwerp | Jul 22, 2008 10:25:28 AM

I think I go throw up now.

Posted by: nellagain | Jul 22, 2008 10:26:19 AM

It sounds like the infant was abused but they can't prove their case against the father. What a foul crime! I hope they catch whomever perpetrated it.

Posted by: Reno | Jul 22, 2008 10:28:18 AM

"Since the charges were dismissed, what *did* the infant die of??"

Alot of questions would be answered if they included that little tidbit.

Posted by: stopeatingmysesamecake | Jul 22, 2008 10:30:30 AM

Lester, the cops and prosecutors bend over backwards to bring child abuse charges because the fat of the land thinks that's good stuff. If they dropped the charges, there must have been a really weak case.

Posted by: Sean, Torrington CT | Jul 22, 2008 10:33:57 AM

"Richardson pleaded guilty to a second-degree domestic violence charge for assaulting Cynthia Goscicki, Nevaeh's mother, the night the baby was taken to the hospital."

I'm changing my mind on this one. I'm starting to think this a hole is guilty. The mother was probably assulted after trying to protect her baby from this jerk. There is proof this baby was sexually assulted....they just haven't figured out who yet. I'm thinking it's the dad....just my thoughts. When I made the prior remark, it was before I read the story.

Posted by: thereverendtwerp | Jul 22, 2008 10:34:45 AM

I hope the cops at least waterboarded the father. That would have been worthwhile.

Posted by: Torgo | Jul 22, 2008 10:38:38 AM

Just because the charges were dropped doesn't mean he's innocent. It just means that the prosecution did not have enough evidence to proceed with the case.
Me thinks that the prosecutor may have brought charges against this guy too early OR the police used some really bad tactics to get the guy to make a coerced confession.
Hope they nail the perp that did this though. Whoever it was was a sick, depraved individual.

Posted by: lawdog | Jul 22, 2008 10:40:27 AM

This guy should be playing golf with OJ.

Posted by: G-Man | Jul 22, 2008 10:49:51 AM

the public loves to be the jury with only knowing the basic facts of a case. look at how many people in the general public STILL think that jonbenet ramsey's parents are guilty.

Posted by: buddy | Jul 22, 2008 10:50:37 AM

buddy, I know! And how many people STILL think that OJ is guilty?

Posted by: Sean, Torrington CT | Jul 22, 2008 10:57:48 AM

Prosecutors initially charged Richardson with felony murder, first-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree child abuse...
Twenty-fifth District Judge David Bajorek dismissed those charges, saying prosecutors didn't have enough evidence to proceed with their case.
The judge harshly criticized police for the way they investigated and presented their case.
Bajorek said he "would never have signed the complaint and warrant" charging Richardson with the crime in the first place had detectives been clear when they initially testified as to what evidence they had linking him to the crime.
Bajorek said the evidence presented during an earlier court hearing was "much different" from what detectives told him when they convinced him to sign the arrest warrant in November.
The judge said prosecutors had no physical evidence linking Richardson to the crime and that several other people had access to the infant during the same time period.
Bajorek also criticized the tactics Anthony used during a six-hour videotaped interview he had with Richardson that began as a polygraph test and ended as a police interrogation.
During the interview, Anthony spent six hours telling Richardson lies in "an attempt to induce him to make an incriminating statement," Bajorek said.
For instance, Bajorek said, Anthony told Richardson that police had DNA evidence linking him to the crime when they didn't.
Despite six hours of similar comments, Bajorek said, Richardson "adamantly and vehemently denied" having anything to do with his daughter's death.

Lincoln Park recently paid out $750,000 for fabricated evidence and false imprisonment. That case was for the murder of a 19 month old. THAT murder hasn't been solved yet either. Sounds like they're having a grand ol time in Michigan.

From the different stories I've come across, no one else has been charged. Kinda strange though...that baby was not only sexually assaulted, but was bruised, battered and had a bloody eye. WhereTF was mommy and why didn't she do something to protect her child? Sorry...but she's just as responsible as the sub-human SOB that would do that to another human.

Posted by: Cluckie | Jul 22, 2008 11:08:54 AM

Lawdog,
The charges were not dropped. The judge dismissed them, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office was unsuccessful in an appeal of that ruling. The interrogator used rogue tactics to make Richardson make an incriminating statement.

Posted by: Lou Ford Prefect | Jul 22, 2008 11:11:05 AM


It is my unshakeable belief that the States do not have the authority to condemn even heinous criminals to death. Sorry. I do believe in alternatives however, and ask the legal eagles here to try and address my question.

Hopefully the *thing* responsible for this will be sorted out. Is it remotely possible for a State court to wash its hands of a sub-human criminal, and remand him to the family of the victim for whatever they please? Or are the family people that represent the State the only ones capable or allowed to render a sentence?

Posted by: thomas | Jul 22, 2008 11:21:46 AM

"At the preliminary exam in January, 25th District Judge David A. Bajorek dismissed the felony murder, first-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree child abuse charges against Richardson. Bajorek said the prosecutor presented circumstantial evidence based on Richardson's violent history and a six-hour interrogation in which the interrogator used rogue tactics to make Richardson make an incriminating statement, but not necessarily a confession.

BASED ON RICHARDSON'S VIOLENT HISTORY. HANG HIM.

Posted by: | Jul 22, 2008 11:24:01 AM

I dont like to judge people but I do know that God will take matters into his hands and who ever that lower than shit hanging off a cockroaches ass is there will be no punishment to great.. And I know that who ever hurt an innocent angel sent from god will pay.

Posted by: kelly | Jul 22, 2008 11:30:25 AM


Sean?

Posted by: thomas | Jul 22, 2008 11:50:15 AM

Hey it's not like I'm a pediatrician or anything, but I don't think 8 day old infants bleed from the rectum for no reason. Somehow I doubt it was just spontaneous.

Besides, cases get dismissed if evidence has been screwed up or there is some legal inpropriety. Not just because the guy is innocent.

Posted by: Justin | Jul 22, 2008 12:08:06 PM

In the last part of the article, it says he told hospital personel that "someone else may have sexually assaulted the child". Sounds like if it weren't him, then he knows who did do it, which is just as terrible (if not worse). As a mother of a 7 month old, I have no idea how this could have happened unless they were horrible, neglectful parents to start off with, which they probably were. So sad... 8 days old... she never even stood a chance. Makes me sick to my stomach.

Posted by: AJ | Jul 22, 2008 12:09:29 PM

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