ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Orlando mother of a missing newborn has been in the Orange County jail for more than a month on child neglect charges.
Susan Richardson has had a handful of visitors during her time behind bars.
In video recordings of the visits, Richardson did not talk about the baby girl, who police named Baby Willow, but she expressed concern about making sure her boyfriend sent money to she could get cookies and candy.
Conversations with her longtime boyfriend, Johnnie Bryant, turned serious when he confronted her about what she was doing shortly before police said she gave birth near the Willow Bend apartments then abandoned the newborn.
“Y’all were getting high and they told you to leave when you started bleeding,” said Bryant to Richardson.
“Man, that’s a doggone lie,” Richardson said.
Richardson denied using drugs that day, and in another visit, expressed concern about a friend nicknamed “Pork Chop” she’s known to spend time with.
“Oh, so he arrested?” she asked Bryant.
“No, they didn’t arrest him. You know what I’m saying? He said he didn’t know nothing about it. He said you wasn’t with him,” Bryant said.
Richardson has been in jail for a month on child neglect and desertion charges.
Despite extensive searches, her baby girl has not been found.
None of the visitors asked about Baby Willow, but Bryant was careful that he didn’t mention the child.
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“Some people told me if I come down to see you, don’t talk about that, period. Because then, they may try to throw some kind of charge on me. You know what I’m talking about?” said Bryant to Richardson.
He said he was praying for Richardson’s freedom.
“In my heart, I believe you gonna walk. I got trust in God,” said Bryant.
Richardson was supposed to be arraigned on her charges Thursday, but waived the hearing.
She’s due back in court in June, but she hinted she would be asking her attorney to get her bond reduced.
Cox Media Group
