In July 2010, Teghan Skiba was admitted to the Johnston Medical Center by then-21-year-old Jonathan Richardson after he claimed she had fallen off the bed. However, doctors found she had cuts, bruises, and bite marks on her body.
Skiba died days later. An autopsy revealed that the girl died from a blow to the head.
A nurse testified that she went after Richardson in the emergency room. Mary Alison Butler said she jumped on top of him, grabbed his neck, and tried to rip out his throat.
Butler said she was overcome with anger and adrenalin when looking at the extensive injuries the child had and then confronted Richardson.
"It was horrible. We see a lot of stuff. At that point I couldn't take any more and I looked at him and said, "Oh my God,'" said Butler.
Richardson is accused of torturing and killing Teghan Skiba in the summer of 2010 over a ten day period while Teghan's mom, Helen Roxanne Reyes, was deployed for training in the Army Reserves.
Butler said when she confronted Richardson, he allegedly took off running trying to escape the E.R. So, she took matters into her own hands.
"He was just going to leave. So I took off after him" said Butler. "I chased him down. I came around the corner and jumped on him. I grabbed him by the throat and swung him around. I was tried to rip his esophagus out."
A detective also took the stand Tuesday to say what happened when he was dispatched to the emergency room.
Richardson is charged with first-degree murder, and felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury.
Meanwhile, prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Richardson.
Reyes has been free on bond since her 2010 arrest. She is still awaiting trial.
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