Motive for killing family may never be known
Investigators say that when they captured Marine veteran Bryan Riley outside the Lakeland, Fla., home where he allegedly killed a couple, their 3-month-old son and the boy’s grandmother, he told them, “You know why I did this.”
But they say they don’t and, in fact, may never know why Riley invaded the home of a family he had no known connection with, except that he may have been mentally ill. Riley’s girlfriend told investigators that he had been saying he could communicate directly with God.
“The big question that all of us has is, ‘Why?’ ” local prosecutor Brian Haas said. “We will not know today or maybe ever.”
Riley, 33, is being held without bond on four counts of first-degree murder. During his first court appearance Monday, he said he intended to hire a lawyer; a public defender was appointed to represent him until he does.
Riley, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, surrendered Sunday morning after a furious gun battle with authorities. A deputy then rushed into the home and rescued an 11-year-old girl who had been shot repeatedly. She was in stable condition on Tuesday morning, the sheriff ’s office said. A family statement said she has already undergone four surgeries to repair 10 wounds, but is
alert, reading, writing and generally in good spirits.
“She was very scared when this happened, but she just prayed during the event and knew it would be OK,” reads their statement to WTVT-TV. “We appreciate all the well wishes, kind words and prayers.”
No one answered Tuesday at Riley’s home in the Tampa suburb of Brandon. The house was already decorated for Halloween, with a scarecrow and jack-o’-lanterns. Neighbors said Riley was quiet and didn’t socialize, but last week he stopped John Morris’ wife, who is battling cancer, and said, “I want to pray for you.”
According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, Riley told interrogators that the victims “begged for their lives, and I killed them anyway.”
“He is evil in the flesh,” Judd said. “Just because you have mental health issues, does not mean you are not criminally liable.”
Judd identified Justice Gleason, 40, as one of the victims. Citing a state
privacy law, Judd identified the other victims only as a 33-year-old woman, her infant son and the boy’s 62-year-old grandmother. Facebook posts and public records show Gleason was in a relationship with Theresa Lanham and they had a baby boy, Jody, in May. Lanham’s mother, Catherine Delgado, owned the property and lived there. Gleason also had an 11-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.
According to Judd and court records, on Saturday evening, about nine hours before the attack, Riley stopped his truck and confronted Gleason as he mowed his lawn. Riley, who lives 30 miles away, told Gleason that God had sent him to prevent a suicide by someone named Amber.
Gleason and one of the other victims told Riley no one by that name lived there and asked him to leave.