4 Year Old Teghan Skiba dies after being severely beaten and tortured by her mothers boyfriend Jonathan Richardson

Smithfield, N.C. — A 4-year-old girl who was severely beaten and tortured in Johnston County died from her injuries Monday evening, Johnston County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Tammy Amaon said.

Hospital workers contacted law enforcement authorities Friday after discovering Teghan Alyssa Skiba had cuts, lacerations, bite marks and signs of sexual assault, Sheriff Steve Bizzell said.

Teghan was taken to Johnston Medical Center by Jonathan Douglas Richardson, who claimed the girl had fallen off a bed. Teghan, who also suffered severe head trauma, was transferred to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill where she later died, Amaon said.

Upon Teghan’s death, authorities charged Richardson, 21, of Old Sanders Road, with first-degree murder. He was already facing a felony child abuse charge.

Authorities haven't said how long Teghan was in Richardson's care, but arrest warrants indicate the dates of the offense from July 14-16.

Bizzell said the girl's mother had been away for military training but had since returned to be with her daughter.

"A community came to love a little girl that they didn't even know who was a victim of domestic violence, a senseless act," Bizzell told WRAL News Monday evening. "We are just heartbroken and sad."

The investigation into Teghan's death is ongoing and others may be indicted in the case, Bizzell said.

"This is the worst case of child abuse that we have ever seen," the sheriff added. "Stuff like this is not supposed to happen."

An autopsy will be performed on Teghan's body at the Office of the State Chief Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill.

Bizzell also said Richardson showed no remorse when he learned of the girl's death. Richardson was being held in the Johnston County jail without bond. He is due in court Tuesday.


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They were living in a barn behind his grandparents house that had no bathroom, and no running water.
The mother herself stated she was "scared" of her boyfriend and had only known him 6 months. So,
shes in the military had SHE is scared of her boyfriend yet she left her little girl with him. When will I ever stop being shocked by the sordid reality of the lives of innocent children?

Unbelievable. She saw a side of him she didn't like, but as you say Artgal she goes off and leaves her 4 y.o. daughter w/ him...living in a fricking barn.
I notice a large number of these victims are girls about the age of 2-4. Not all, but it seems many. There mothers are young and unwed. Just a trend I note.

I believe in fighting for our country but it starts by fighting for the right of our children. IMO, if she knew this jack ass was scary or an abuser, than she is just as much to blame for leaving her with him. And she only knew him six months? I wonder if she knew he had a previous felony child abuse rap.

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There are 3 video's here on this case. It is truly unreal and a must see.

Also, they are saying she was sexually assaulted.

Even if she knew about his priors, it wouldnt matter.
Most of these women are aware of the bad behavior of their boyfriends but they go ahead and leave their kids with them anyway. Where was this little girls father I wonder? The mother needs to charged and cashiered out of the service as well. Somehow we have to start putting a stop to these crimes and one by one all parties need to be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Leaving her child with this madman amounts to killing her in my opinion.

Another one? I agree hold these Not Moms accountable.

Police: Teghan Skiba, 4, Tortured, Raped And Murdered By Mother’s Boyfriend
July 20, 2010 by Jaded
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Smithfield, NC – On July 16th, Jonathan Richardson showed up at the hospital with his girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter, Teghan Skiba, and claimed the child had fallen off the bed. The law got involved once doctors discovered Teghan had numerous bruises, human bite marks, cuts, severe head trauma and signs of sexual abuse. Teghan held on for a few days, but the injuries were too severe – she died on Monday. Police allege that over the course of several days, Jonathan tortured, beat and raped the child in the barn they called home. Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell says it’s one of the worst cases of abuse he has ever seen. Teghan’s mother, Helen Reyes, recently decided to shack up with Jonathan in the barn behind his grandparents’ home. The barn was equipped with air conditioning, but lacked a bathroom and running water. Jonathan and Teghan shared an air mattress on the floor. Jonathan and Helen had been dating for about six months – just long enough for Helen to feel comfortable leaving her child alone with the man in a f\'ing barn while she took off for New Mexico to train for the Army Reserve. She felt comfortable leaving her child alone with a man who she herself is reportedly scared of. Helen, who had been in New Mexico since about July 6th, returned home on Friday to be by Teghan’s side at the hospital.

“There’s a lot that is unanswered,” Sheriff Bizzell said Monday. “The investigation is definitely ongoing with the possibility of additional charges and additional individuals being charged.” Those additional individuals do not include Jonathan’s grandparents, they apparently had no idea what was going on out in the barn. Bizzell said the Wake County Department of Social Services is also involved in the investigation because the girl and her mother had recently lived there with the girl’s grandmother. 21-year-old Jonathan is being held on $1 million bond. Previous convictions include communicating threats, assault and damage to property. In 2008, he was found guilty of assault on a female. He was ordered to enter an abuser treatment program and attend a domestic violence program.
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How anyone could ever injure a child? It is so beyond my comprehension. Look at her, cute as a button.

OMG. This is horrible and sickening.

Johnson County seems to be ringing a bell to me. Does anyone know if this is where Shaniya Davis' tragedy occurred? I do remember she was from North Carolina.

Doesn't the military check with single parents to make sure they have proper child care arranged prior to being deployed? If they don't, then maybe they should start. I know it seems a small, after-the-fact step, but we must begin somewhere to protect our children.

Yes, they do. Even if you are going to the Reserves, in case you have to become Active duty due to a war, you MUST give your children up for temp adoption if you are a single parent. This makes me wonder who she gave custody to.

This is sickening!! I hope that not only the boyfriend, but the mother & the military are investigated & charged in this innocent child's torture & murder. IMO, they are all guilty of her death!!

Investigators on Thursday charged the mother of 4-year-old Teghan Skiba - who died after being seriously abused - with negligent child abuse causing serious bodily injury.

Helen R. Reyes, 27, of 5255 Passenger Place, Raleigh, was arrested Thursday morning and taken to the Johnston County Jail. Magistrates have not yet set her bond.

According to the arrest warrant, Reyes "had first-hand knowledge that this type of abuse had occurred prior to July 5 by Jonathan Richardson." Reyes left for military training in New Mexico on July 6. Richardson is her boyfriend, who faces first-degree murder charges in the child's death.

The warrant also states that Reyes subjected her daughter to "verbal threats, intimidation, forced consumption of alcohol, severe physical beatings and assault by biting."

The three had been living in a barn behind the home of Richardson's grandparents, Wade and Helen Creech, in the Brogden community near Smithfield.

The barn where Richardson and the girl were staying had no bathroom, no running water and a single air mattress on the floor for sleeping, Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell said.

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08/12/2010 12:35 PM
Case continued for mother of girl beaten to death

The mother of a 4-year-old girl beaten to death last month in Johnston County was in court Thursday morning.

Helen Reyes is charged with negligent child abuse in the death of her daughter, Teghan Skiba. She is out of jail on bond but is not allowed to leave the state.

Authorities say Reyes knew her boyfriend, 21-year-old Jonathan Richardson, was abusing her daughter. Investigators say he abused the girl while Reyes was away for military training.

Reyes' court case was continued until Sept. 9.

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Teghan Alyssa Skiba

Teghan Alyssa Skiba, 4 years old, passed away on Monday, July 19, 2010 at UNC Hospital. Born on July 6, 2006 in Raleigh; she was Helen Reyes and Jerry Skiba's little girl who loved purple, butterflies, lady bugs and her grandmother's garden.

Teggy's grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and all those she met and saw her beautiful smile will miss her very, very much.

All services will be private; however, the family does ask that for those that would like to make memorial donations that they be directed to the Capital Bank – c/o Gerald and Sarah Skiba – 12217 Capital Blvd – Wake Forest, NC 27587.

The paternal grandparents of a North Carolina girl who authorities say died after severe abuse say they had considered seeking custody of the 4-year-old but said state law made it very difficult.

WRAL-TV reported that Gerald and Sarah Skiba of Youngsville say they decided against hiring an attorney in an attempt to get temporary custody. Their granddaughter was Teghan Skiba, who died July 19 at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill.

The Skibas say Teghan's father is facing drug charges and that Reyes had cut off communication with them.

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She was so darned beautiful. So sad!!!! WHY this happens, I will never understand.

She was a beautiful girl, and doesn't look to be abused (from the pictures), but I guess pictures don't give the whole story. I wonder where her father was? It seems like, aside from the one set of grandparent (who wanted to get custody, but didn't get involved), she had no one who really cared about her!

BJ in OR wrote:The paternal grandparents of a North Carolina girl who authorities say died after severe abuse say they had considered seeking custody of the 4-year-old but said state law made it very difficult.

WRAL-TV reported that Gerald and Sarah Skiba of Youngsville say they decided against hiring an attorney in an attempt to get temporary custody. Their granddaughter was Teghan Skiba, who died July 19 at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill.

The Skibas say Teghan's father is facing drug charges and that Reyes had cut off communication with them.

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I wonder what state law prevented them from seeking help to get guardianship of this child? They and anyone else that loved Teghan will be kicking themselves for life. Did the Mother know the paternal grand parents wanted her? Yet left her daughter in that awful living environment.

Could be that the grandparents weren't willing to spend any money on an attorney.

Oh, my heart just breaks for this precious little girl and what she had to endure in her short life! At least she is out of that and in a place of complete peace and love...I think in these cases that whatever was done to the victim should be done to the "mother" and the boyfiend...But that would not be allowed because it is inhumane treatment to the accused/convicted...

lisette wrote:Oh, my heart just breaks for this precious little girl and what she had to endure in her short life! At least she is out of that and in a place of complete peace and love...I think in these cases that whatever was done to the victim should be done to the "mother" and the boyfiend...But that would not be allowed because it is inhumane treatment to the accused/convicted...

I agree with every word you and others have said on this thread. It is beyond disgusting and sickening and disheartening. I feel like crying for this innocent little one. And what was done to her makes me absolutely sick.

4/3/2014

Lawyers have made their final arguments in the death penalty phase of Jonathan Richardson's murder trial and now it's up to the jury.

It must decide if it will recommend the death penalty or life in prison for 4-year-old Teghan Skiba's killer. The same jury found Richardson guilty of first-degree murder, felony child abuse, kidnapping, and sexual offense with a child last week.

In July 2010, the then-21-year-old Richardson took Skiba to the Johnston Medical Center claiming the child had fallen off the bed. However, doctors found she had cuts, bruises, a head wound, and bite marks on her body. Skiba died days later from her injuries after she was transferred to UNC.

Richardson was supposed to be babysitting the child for his then girlfriend, but prosecutors say he brutally tortured her over a 10-day period while her mother, Helen Roxanne Reyes, was out-of-state for Army Reserves training.

In her closing arguments Thursday, Johnston County District Attorney Susan Doyle told jurors that Skiba suffered unimaginable pain in her final days. She lost over 70 percent of the blood in her body from all the wounds.

"The defendant bit Teghan all over her body over 60 times and she began to slip away," said Doyle.

Doyle went on to remind jurors of how Skiba's family will never get to experience life events with her like birthday's, school plays, getting her driver's license or high school prom.

"The defendant took that away," said Doyle.

Doyle then showed the jury Teghan's copy of the popular children's book by Diane de Groat called "Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite!"

"If only Teghan's biggest fear had been bedbugs biting," said Doyle.

Prosecutor Greg Butler told the jury the murder was extremely wicked and shockingly evil.

"Jonathan Richardson is a sadist and a killer. He's cold hearted, and he's totally without remorse," said Butler.

Prosecutor Paul Jackson spoke of the "...the awful, unimaginable circumstances surrounding her murder, her violation, at the hands of that defendant."

But Richardson's defense team argued that he should not be sentenced to death. It tried to convince jurors that life in prison will be hard.
"He will die in prison as the lowest form of life in the abyss," said attorney Mike Klinkosum.
Klinkosum said that as a prisoner convicted of the torture and murder of child, Richardson will be a target for other prisoners.
"There will never come a time when he can let his guard down," he offered. That's exactly what he deserves!

Richardson has been kept shackled in court during closing arguments and will be again when the verdict is read. Judge Thomas Lock ordered the change after jail officials said a homemade knife was found in Richardson's cell. Officials said the "shank" was a toothbrush with a nail file attached to the tip.


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