No bail for suspect in 4 Florida deaths

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A former Marine sharpshooter accused of invading the home of apparent strangers in Florida and fatally shooting a woman, her 3-month-old baby and two others was ordered held without bail during his first court appearance Monday.

Authorities did not cite a moRiley, 33, said he intended to hire a lawyer, but one will be appointed for him in the meantime.

He surrendered Sunday morning after a furious gunbattle with authorities who brought in at least one armored vehicle during the standoff. After it was over, an officer rushed into the home and rescued an 11-year-old girl, who was still conscious despite being shot seven times. She was in critical condition Monday, the sheriff’s office said.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Riley told interrogators that the victims “begged for their lives, and I killed them anyway.”

Judd said Riley told detectives, “You know why I did this.” But Brian Haas, the local prosecutor, said investigators don’t.

“The big question that all of us has is, ‘Why?’” Haas said. “We will not know today, or maybe ever.”

On Saturday evening, hours before the attack began, Riley stopped by the victims’ home in Lakeland, about 30 miles from Tampa, where he lives, Judd said. Authorities have found no connection between Riley and the victims.

Justice Gleason, 40, was mowing his lawn, and Riley told him that God had sent him there to prevent a suicide by someone named Amber. Gleason and another person Judd described as one of the victims told Riley no one by that name lived there and told him to leave. They called the police, but when authorities arrived, Riley was gone.

Riley returned about 4:30 a.m. Sunday, arranging glow sticks to create a path leading to the house in what Judd said may have been an attempt to draw officers “into an ambush.”

Shooting began shortly thereafter — and when an officer in the area heard popping noises, he sounded the alarm, bringing state and local law enforcement officers rushing to the scene. When the first ones arrived, they found an apparently unarmed Riley outside, dressed in camouflage, and his truck ablaze.

But Riley then ran back into the house, where authorities heard more gunfire, “a woman scream and a baby whimper,” Judd said.

Riley and the officers exchanged heavy gunfire, with dozens “if not hundreds of rounds” fired, before Riley retreated back into the home, Judd said.

Everything fell silent, until a helicopter unit noticed that Riley was coming out, the sheriff said. He had been shot once and was ready to surrender.

Officers heard cries for help inside the home but were unsure whether there were additional shooters and feared the home was booby-trapped. Still, one officer rushed in and grabbed the wounded girl, who told authorities there were three dead people inside.

Officers sent robots into the home to check for explosives and other traps. They eventually found the bodies of Gleason; a 33-year-old woman; and her baby. The baby’s 62-yearold grandmother was found in another home on the property.

Authorities released only Gleason’s name, and did not say if or how he was related to the other victims, but on a Facebook page for a woman who identified herself as Gleason’s girlfriend, friends posted comments lamenting her death. From the page, it was evident that she recently had a baby.

Pansy Mincey Smith, who told The Ledger that she went to school with Gleason’s father, said the last time she saw the younger man he had just had a baby.

“RIP Justice Gleason. The last time I saw you, you were getting on the elevator at the hospital,” Smith wrote on Facebook. “You were smiling from ear t ear about your new little baby boy, you had that big teddy bear for him. This is so heartbreaking, son.”