Christian mother convicted in newborn’s death confronts faith, ‘unperceived pregnancy’ in documentary

(RNS) — When Gail Ritchey was sentenced to life in prison in 2022 for the murder of her infant child, the judge took the opportunity to question her humanity.

“I acknowledge you’ve since led a respectable, gracious life, so I can’t rationalize these two Gail Ritcheys,” the judge said to her. “Calling you a monster who deserves life imprisonment might not be an unfair exaggeration.”

“Baby Doe,” a new documentary about Ritchey’s case, captures this interaction on film — as well as the moment after, when Ritchey, participating in the hearing remotely from a local law enforcement facility, peered down at the open King James Bible in front of her, tears sliding down her cheeks.

“I’ve seen a lot of people who are monsters,” the corrections officer in the room with her said after the sentencing concluded. “You’re not a monster.”

In just over 90 minutes, “Baby Doe,” directed by Jessica Earnshaw, presents the “two Gail Ritcheys” to viewers. One is the beloved, conservative-leaning, churchgoing Ohio mother of three, who was 51 when she was convicted . The other is the young woman who, decades earlier, gave birth to a baby she said she believed was stillborn and left him alone…