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http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/02/06/hull_parents_arrested_in_girls_poisoning_death/
Hull parents arrested in girl's poisoning death
By David Abel, Globe Staff | February 6, 2007
The parents of a 4-year-old girl from Hull were arrested yesterday on
murder charges after investigators concluded they poisoned their
daughter, prosecutors said.
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Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts Michael
Riley , 34, and his wife, Carolyn, 32, were taken into custody at his
mother's house in Weymouth in the death of their daughter Rebecca in
December, said officials in the Plymouth district attorney's office.
Just after 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 13, Hull police responded to a call for
an unresponsive girl at the family's home on Lynn Avenue, prosecutors
said. They found Rebecca dead on her parents' bedroom floor.
An investigation by State Police and Hull police found the girl had
been prescribed the drugs clonidine for attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder and valproic acid and Seroquel for bipolar
disorder. A psychiatrist had diagnosed her with both disorders at age
2 1/2, prosecutors said.
The medical examiner's office determined the girl died from
"intoxication due to the combined effects" of the drugs clonidine,
valproic acid (Depakote), dextromethorphan, and chlorpheniramine, the
district attorney's office said in a statement.
"This occurred as a result of the intentional overdose of Rebecca with
clonidine," the statement said. "The manner of death was determined to
be homicide."
Clonidine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat
high blood pressure, but is sometimes used to treat hyperactive
symptoms.
The mothers of both Michael and Carolyn Riley said last night the
couple is innocent.
Valerie Berio , Carolyn Riley's mother, called the homicide charges
"ludicrous."
"She was their treasure, their angel," Berio said in a telephone
interview. "They loved her more than life itself. They didn't
consciously give her anything to make her go to sleep and not wake
up."
She said Rebecca had been described as hyperactive in school, but had
been recently seen as "a little too quiet" by school administrators.
Berio said the couple grew up in Weymouth, knew each other since they
were young, and married in 1994. She said Michael Riley is unemployed
and claims disability. "Michael is the sweetest kid in the world. They
would have never wanted to hurt their daughter," Berio said. "I love
him like he's my own kid."
Kathleen Riley , Michael's mother, described the couple as great
parents.
"I can't believe this is happening," she said in a telephone
interview. "It's a terrible disgrace. I have no idea how anyone could
say this is deliberate. I'm shocked. They loved their children."
She said the couple had a miscarriage six years ago and had been
living apart for the last year, though they were in the home together
the morning Rebecca died.
"He's been a wonderful father," Riley said. "All the charges against
them are false. He cried at night because he had to live with me for
the past year. He's been under such pressure. The poor kid. I don't
know how he's going to handle this. They just wanted to be together."
Denise Monteiro , a spokeswoman for the state Department of Social
Services, said the department "found evidence for neglect" of Rebecca.
On Dec. 13, the agency removed the couple's other children, a 6-year-
old girl and an 11-year-old boy, from the home, Monteiro said. They
remain in foster homes.
In 2005, DSS began investigating allegations that Michael Riley
sexually abused a 13-year-old girl , Monteiro said. Kathleen Riley and
Berio identified the girl as Carolyn Riley's daughter from another
relationship. The girl had been adopted to another home in 2002.
Also in 2005, DSS launched an investigation into whether Carolyn Riley
had neglected her children, Monteiro said.
"We supported the allegations of abuse, and we forwarded that report
to the Norfolk district attorney's office," she said. "We also
supported the allegations of neglect against the mother."
The status of those allegations was unclear last night.
A spokesman for the Norfolk district attorney's office did not return
calls.
Berio called the allegations of abuse "completely ridiculous."
"There's no evidence at all to back them up," she said. "But it
devastated them, and now it has snowballed to this."
In June 2005, DSS ordered Michael Riley out of the home, Monteiro
said. He was only allowed to see the children under supervision by a
DSS official, she said.
"We're investigating why Michael Riley was at the home without
supervision," when police found Rebecca dead, Monteiro said last night.
Hull parents arrested in girl's poisoning death
By David Abel, Globe Staff | February 6, 2007
The parents of a 4-year-old girl from Hull were arrested yesterday on
murder charges after investigators concluded they poisoned their
daughter, prosecutors said.
Article Tools
Printer friendly
E-mail to a friend
Local RSS feed
Available RSS feeds
Most e-mailed
Reprints & Licensing
Share on Facebook
Save this article
powered by Del.icio.us
More:
Globe City/Region stories |
Latest local news |
Globe front page |
Boston.com
Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts Michael
Riley , 34, and his wife, Carolyn, 32, were taken into custody at his
mother's house in Weymouth in the death of their daughter Rebecca in
December, said officials in the Plymouth district attorney's office.
Just after 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 13, Hull police responded to a call for
an unresponsive girl at the family's home on Lynn Avenue, prosecutors
said. They found Rebecca dead on her parents' bedroom floor.
An investigation by State Police and Hull police found the girl had
been prescribed the drugs clonidine for attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder and valproic acid and Seroquel for bipolar
disorder. A psychiatrist had diagnosed her with both disorders at age
2 1/2, prosecutors said.
The medical examiner's office determined the girl died from
"intoxication due to the combined effects" of the drugs clonidine,
valproic acid (Depakote), dextromethorphan, and chlorpheniramine, the
district attorney's office said in a statement.
"This occurred as a result of the intentional overdose of Rebecca with
clonidine," the statement said. "The manner of death was determined to
be homicide."
Clonidine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat
high blood pressure, but is sometimes used to treat hyperactive
symptoms.
The mothers of both Michael and Carolyn Riley said last night the
couple is innocent.
Valerie Berio , Carolyn Riley's mother, called the homicide charges
"ludicrous."
"She was their treasure, their angel," Berio said in a telephone
interview. "They loved her more than life itself. They didn't
consciously give her anything to make her go to sleep and not wake
up."
She said Rebecca had been described as hyperactive in school, but had
been recently seen as "a little too quiet" by school administrators.
Berio said the couple grew up in Weymouth, knew each other since they
were young, and married in 1994. She said Michael Riley is unemployed
and claims disability. "Michael is the sweetest kid in the world. They
would have never wanted to hurt their daughter," Berio said. "I love
him like he's my own kid."
Kathleen Riley , Michael's mother, described the couple as great
parents.
"I can't believe this is happening," she said in a telephone
interview. "It's a terrible disgrace. I have no idea how anyone could
say this is deliberate. I'm shocked. They loved their children."
She said the couple had a miscarriage six years ago and had been
living apart for the last year, though they were in the home together
the morning Rebecca died.
"He's been a wonderful father," Riley said. "All the charges against
them are false. He cried at night because he had to live with me for
the past year. He's been under such pressure. The poor kid. I don't
know how he's going to handle this. They just wanted to be together."
Denise Monteiro , a spokeswoman for the state Department of Social
Services, said the department "found evidence for neglect" of Rebecca.
On Dec. 13, the agency removed the couple's other children, a 6-year-
old girl and an 11-year-old boy, from the home, Monteiro said. They
remain in foster homes.
In 2005, DSS began investigating allegations that Michael Riley
sexually abused a 13-year-old girl , Monteiro said. Kathleen Riley and
Berio identified the girl as Carolyn Riley's daughter from another
relationship. The girl had been adopted to another home in 2002.
Also in 2005, DSS launched an investigation into whether Carolyn Riley
had neglected her children, Monteiro said.
"We supported the allegations of abuse, and we forwarded that report
to the Norfolk district attorney's office," she said. "We also
supported the allegations of neglect against the mother."
The status of those allegations was unclear last night.
A spokesman for the Norfolk district attorney's office did not return
calls.
Berio called the allegations of abuse "completely ridiculous."
"There's no evidence at all to back them up," she said. "But it
devastated them, and now it has snowballed to this."
In June 2005, DSS ordered Michael Riley out of the home, Monteiro
said. He was only allowed to see the children under supervision by a
DSS official, she said.
"We're investigating why Michael Riley was at the home without
supervision," when police found Rebecca dead, Monteiro said last night.