Thursday, 4:30 PM
Couple arraigned in poisoning death of daughter
By Maria Cramer, Globe Staff
HINGHAM -- A Hull couple was ordered held without bail after pleading not guilty today to charges of murdering their 4-year-old daughter by overdosing her on prescription medicine.
Michael Riley, 34, and Carolyn Riley, 32, sat next to each other in handcuffs and ankle chains crying in Hingham District Court as they heard the charges read against them in the December death of their daughter Rebecca.
Plymouth Assistant District Attorney Frank Middleton Jr. described Rebecca's painful last days. "As her lungs filled with liquid, she would succumb to a slow, painful and horrifying death," Middleton said.
John Darrell, the attorney representing Michael Riley, objected three times as Middleton tried to read a statement of the case, complaining that the graphic details would inflame the potential jury pool for a trial.
After the arraignment, he said his client was devastated by the death of his daughter. "He's crying on my shoulder, and he only met me an hour and a half ago, '' Darrell told reporters.
Michael Bourbeau, an attorney for Carolyn Riley, said the case should also focus on the psychiatrist who prescribed the medication for Rebecca, who prosecutors say was diagnosed at age 2 1/2 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and bipolar disorder.
Prosecutors said the child died from an overdose of Clonidine, a drug that is used to treat high blood pressure in adults but is also sometimes used to treat hyperactive symptoms. The medical examiner's office determined the child died from intoxication due to the combined effect of Clonidine, valproic acid, dextronmethorphan, and chlorpheniramine.
As Michael Riley was being led into the courtroom this morning, a reporter asked him if he had killed his daughter, he replied, "No. I loved my daughter."
