Everyone Failed Rebecca - © 2007 The Patriot Ledger

‘Everyone was shocked’

4 days after girl’s death, Rileys went bowling

League member:
Parents didn’t grieve at party

Four days after 4-year-old Rebecca Riley died in agony, her parents attended their bowling league’s Christmas party.

“Everyone was shocked,” a league member who would not be identified told The Patriot Ledger.

“We offered our condolences and their response was somber, but they never shed a tear,” the member said.

Rebecca died on Dec. 13, but that didn’t keep her mother and father, Michael and Carolyn Riley, from their bowling party.

“I told Michael I was sorry to hear about Rebecca and didn’t really know what to say. ...His answer to me was, ‘There’s nothing to say.’”

The member said the Rileys said a therapist encouraged them to go to bowling that night because it might keep Michael Riley’s mind occupied. They ate Chinese food.

“Both of them ate and acted as if nothing had happened,” the member said. “Carolyn sat at the scoring table holding a stuffed cat and they displayed Rebecca's picture on the score table, but neither cried.”

The description of their emotional state matches other accounts in the aftermath of Rebecca’s death.

Hours after she died, the Rileys went door-to-door in their old neighborhood in Weymouth to spread the news. A neighbor said they did not appear to be upset.

On Dec. 30, the couple attended his high school reunion at the Weymouth Elks Club. Classmates said they kept to themselves and did not seem to be grieving.

The couple was arrested Monday and charged with deliberately giving Rebecca overdoses of a potent medication for months.

The Rileys are being held without bail on first-degree murder charges.

Dad was a youth soccer coach despite record

By SUE REINERT
The Patriot Ledger

The man charged this week with killing his 4-year-old daughter in Hull coached a Weymouth Youth Soccer team of kindergarten-age children in 2005, despite a conviction for assault and an arrest for attempted child rape.

Quincy attorney Jerry Murphy, who represents the nonprofit sports organization, said Michael Riley volunteered for the unpaid position in the fall of 2005, like many parents of players. Riley’s middle child, a daughter who is now 6, played on the team.

“There were no complaints, no allegations and no incidents,” Murphy said of Michael Riley’s time as a coach.

Murphy responded after a reporter called officers of Weymouth Youth Soccer to check a report that Riley had coached a team.

Riley supervised the team for eight games and no more than three practice sessions in September and October, Murphy said.

Riley was arrested in June 2005 and indicted in September 2005 on sex charges involving a 13-year-old girl.

Murphy said Riley was not in a position to pose a risk to children. Several teams play games on one field “where there are probably 2,000 parents and kids,” he said. “There is never a moment when any children are left unsupervised.”

A man who would not give his name told The Patriot Ledger that he notified youth soccer officials about the indecent assault charges against Riley after the season ended.

Murphy said he did not know whether officials were told, but Riley “was not asked to remain as a parent-coach after one season.” Many parents quit after one season, he said.

If officials had done a criminal record check, they would have known that Riley was convicted and sentenced to probation in 1998 for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, his foot, in Lynn. The attempted rape arrest would not have appeared on his record.

Murphy declined to say what the policy is on background checks of coaches.

Sue Reinert may be reached at sreinert@ledger.com.