Teghan Skiba was a four year old child born to Helen Reyes and Jerry Skiba in 2006. After birth, she was separated from her father Jerry Skiba who was imprisoned on drug related charges and was raised solely by her her mom until she was four.
In January 2010, Teghan was put under the care of her mom’s boyfriend Jonathan Douglas Richardson, 25 whilst her mother was away for army reserve training. What seemed to be a not so thoughtful arrangement took a horrible in July 2010, when Richardson took Teghan to a barn behind his grandparents house where they lived and tortured her over a period of ten days for alleged urinating and defecating on the bed while they were sleeping. He tortured her and repeatedly raped her until she lost consciousness.
Teghan Skiba died in July 2010 from blunt force trauma to the head at hospital in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. On July 16, 2010 Richardson brought the girl to Johnston Medical Center telling doctors she fell off her bed. But medics found signs of much more serious trauma, as her body was covered in bruises and bite marks. Due to the extent of her injuries, she was transferred to University of North Carolina hospital for proper care . Despite the efforts of doctors and nurses at the hospital, the child’s injuries were severe and she passed away a few days later.
THE INVESTIGATION AND TRIAL
The hospital staff alerted the police because of the injuries and Richardson was arrested and detained pending trial. During questioning, he still insisted that she sustained the injuries by jumping off furniture repeatedly. During trial, Dr. Jonathan Privette, who is an assistant chief medical examiner in Greenville, he observed injuries on Teghan’s neck that were indicative of marks made by a power cord. The doctor told the court: ‘When she came to us, the brain has been damaged so severely that, and swelling was so much the brain matter was starting to come out.’
The child, Teghan, had multiple injuries on her body, including 66 bite marks, bruises, whip marks, and lesions. DNA from Teghan’s blood was discovered on a wooden rod, and forensic experts found evidence of her blood on over 30 items, including underwear, pants, a sleeping bag, and a pillowcase. In addition, a dentist testified in court that the bite marks on Teghan’s body were consistent with Richardson’s teeth, and some of the bites were so severe that they resulted in torn flesh.
During the court proceedings in Smithfield, jurors were visibly distressed when they were presented with autopsy photos. The pictures were so upsetting that the child’s grandparents were overcome with emotion and began to cry. Police Deputy Matt DeSilva wept as he told the court that Teghan’s injuries were ‘the most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen done to a human being – especially a child’.
According to Richardson’s defense lawyer, the accused suffered from mental health issues and was a victim of childhood abuse. The lawyer also asserted that despite Richardson’s demeanor during the trial, he did not engage in sexual abuse of the child. The defense attorney described the death of the four-year-old as an incredibly tragic event that the accused did not intend to cause.
THE SENTENCING
Jonathan Douglas Richardson, who was the mother’s boyfriend for six months, was sentenced to death for his role in the child’s brutal death. His charges also included, kidnapping, and sexual offense. He is currently on death row.
Helen Reyes, who is Teghan’s mother, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. She was found guilty of felony negligent child abuse that resulted in serious bodily harm, which ultimately led to Teghan’s death.
Credits: Vocal Media