Grandma convicted in death of 3-year-old whose body was decomposing in trash, cops say
A woman accused of killing her 3-year-old granddaughter and leaving her body in the trash for days will now spend decades in prison.
Becky Vreeland, a grandmother who Oklahoma City police say killed Riley Nolan in June 2022, took a no-contest plea deal, court records show. A no-contest plea allows Vreeland to maintain her innocence while accepting punishment.
As part of the plea deal, Vreeland will spend 45 years in prison, KOCO reported. She will be eligible for parole when she is 99.
An attorney for Vreeland could not be immediately reached by McClatchy News on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
The Oklahoma City Police Department said Riley’s body was discovered June 21, 2022, in a trash can outside Vreeland’s home. Her decomposed body, found by Vreeland’s ex-husband, had been in the trash for three days, according to KOCO and KFOR.
“When I heard the details of what had happened, I just couldn’t imagine because my main thing was I hoped that she didn’t suffer and then to hear the details and just know that she did,” Riley’s father, Kyle Nolan, told KOCO.
Vreeland said her granddaughter’s death was an accident, according to KWTV, but detectives say Riley was abused in her grandmother’s home.
Splatters of Riley’s blood were found in the home’s primary bedroom and bathroom, according to KWTV. Additionally, “small indentations were found on the wall” in the bathroom, which investigators say could have been caused by a child’s head.
Vreeland said Riley fell into the trash can using a pool ladder, but a medical examiner found the toddler had three skull fractures, according to The Norman Transcript. She died from “blunt force trauma,” prosecutors said.
Riley was known for her kindness and love for others, according to an obituary.
“Everyone who met Princess Riley was graced with a smile that could warm a room and a sweetness that never wavered,” the obituary says.
This story was originally published October 16, 2024 at 8:58 AM with the headline "Grandma convicted in death of 3-year-old whose body was decomposing in trash, cops say."