Mass. mom guilty of murder in girl’s fatal OD
Published: February 10, 2010
Updated: February 10, 2010
BROCKTON, Mass. - A Massachusetts woman has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the fatal prescription drug overdose of her 4-year-old daughter.
Carolyn Riley was accused of overmedicating her daughter, Rebecca, on powerful drugs prescribed by a psychiatrist who diagnosed her with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder by the time she was 3.
Prosecutors said Riley and her husband, Michael, concocted symptoms of mental illness in their daughter in an attempt to collect federal disability benefits.
Defense lawyers said Rebecca died of pneumonia, not a drug overdose.
Riley was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years.
Jurors reached their verdict Tuesday on the third day of deliberations. Michael Riley faces a separate trial.
Reader Reactions
they deserve more than 15 yrs
That poor, poor baby. What a shame. People are such low lives. I hope she rots in prison. She’s a worthless piece of sh*t!!
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