Dad was miffed because mom wanted to move, so he slaughtered their daughter (Gary, Indiana)

This is an update on a story we posted on previously. And I'll tell you the Fathers Rights spin on this even before it happens.

They'll say that poor victimized CORDELL RICHARDSON was so overwhelmed with pain at the thought that his beloved daughter was moving to Texas that, well, he reacted strongly (throat clearing here, as speaker tries to soft-pedal the fact that Dad blasted a hole into the chest of an innocent baby, killing her almost instantly). So, they'll say, that's why moms should not be allowed to move if they have custody, and have to be chained to the same town or city for 18 years or more, regardless of the educational or professional opportunities available there, or the family, friends, or loved ones that may live elsewhere. Moms need to be stripped of the constitutional right to free movement that every other American takes for granted. Although a non-custodial dad is free to move where ever he likes, neglecting his kids and taking no responsibility, and nobody should chain him, because, ahem, he's a man after all. And should Dad be the one to have custody, well, we won't go into that, because we don't like to talk about relocation restrictions that would apply to custodial dads, you know.

Bull malarkey.

Guys like Cordell Richardson happen all the time. Despite what the neighbors think (or hope), they don't really love anybody. For them, it's all about control. Without even knowing this mother's story, I can just about tell you why she was desperate to get away from Gary, Indiana (which has been particularly hard hit by the Recession and "economic restructuring" over the past few years) and move away to Texas. I suspect that this father has a past history of violence, or at minimum, a history of threats and emotional/psychological abuse. I sincerely doubt that this guy's erratic behavior was something brand new. Letting the mom and the baby move to another state and have a fresh start threatened Dad's control. If he truly loved the baby, he would have tried to work with the mother, support her efforts to improve her life, be the best dad he could be. But no, he decided to slaughter a child just so he could show who's the boss. "Love" had nothing to do with it.

http://www.post-trib.com/news/1740944,gdeadfolo0829.article

Baby's father, charged with murder, upset by relocation plan

August 29, 2009

By Jon Seidel, Post-Tribune staff writer
GARY -- Distraught because his 19-month-old daughter might move with her mother to Texas, Cordell Richardson took the girl and, according to police, said "nobody was going to take his daughter away" before shooting and killing her.

Richardson, 22, is charged with murder in the death of the girl, Eboni Richardson. Police said he shot her in downtown Gary on Thursday just as he was expected to turn her over to her uncle. Then he shot himself in the head.

A Methodist Hospitals spokeswoman declined to release information about Richardson's condition Friday afternoon at its Merrillville campus where he's hospitalized. He faces a maximum of 65 years in prison if convicted. The Lake County Prosecutor's Office said he is to be held in the county jail without bond.

In a charging affidavit filed in Lake County Superior Court on Friday, Gary police describe a frantic attempt by friends and family to return the girl to her mother, Shaina Hill, hours before the shooting.

Hill, of Gary, told police she gave Richardson permission to take the child, according to the affidavit.

However, Cpl. Gabrielle King said Richardson called her at 4 p.m. Thursday and said she would never see Eboni again if she didn't meet him at his house by 4:30 p.m.

She arrived with police, according to reports, but Richardson wasn't there. Richardson then called Hill and refused to return Eboni.

Hill went to the home of Jamell Campbell, Richardson's brother-in-law, and told him Richardson was refusing to give Eboni back. Campbell told police he called Richardson, who told him he didn't want to lose his daughter.

Campbell called Jerry Wheeler, Richardson's friend, and Thomas Murray, Richardson's brother. Wheeler said Richardson called him and said he had kidnapped Eboni, according to court documents.

After several phone calls, Richardson agreed to meet Campbell, Wheeler and Murray at Murray's grandfather's home in Gary. When they got there, Richardson called again and told them to meet him at Bennigan's restaurant, 500 E. 5th Ave. in Gary.

The men found Richardson's truck in the parking lot and parked next to it, police said. Richardson was seen sitting on the driver's side in the back seat, holding Eboni.

Campbell told police he was walking up to the truck, heard two gunshots and saw a flash from inside. Murray opened the back door and discovered that Richardson had shot himself in the head.

Wheeler opened the door on the other side, police said, and Eboni, who had a gunshot wound in her chest, fell into his arms. Wheeler took her, got back into the car he had arrived in, and tried to drive to the hospital with Murray. Campbell got into Richardson's truck to drive there, as well.

Police said the car carrying Eboni broke down at 4th Avenue and Monroe Street, and Campbell had to pick the men and the baby up on the way to the hospital.

Members of Eboni's family could not be reached Friday.

Reggie Johnson, Hill's neighbor, said Eboni was a happy baby who liked to dress up for church and had joined his grandchildren to play outside less than a month ago.

"They were all out here playing with the bubbles," Johnson said.

He described Hill as a "work-aholic" who took care of her grandmother. He said he never noticed a problem between her and Richardson.

"He loved that baby," Johnson said.