Life or
Death?
Killer Michael
Riley’s fate in
hands of Judge
Boswell
By: John Sparks
It was an
unimaginably
brutal murder
that shocked
everyone in
Quitman, the
tranquil, tiny
county seat of
Wood County.
Nearly everyone
in town knew the
victim and the
murderer.
Michael Lynn
Riley, known to
most in the
community as a
petty thief,
killed a local
convenience
store clerk in
the process of a
robbery. It was
1986. A husband
and two little
girls were
suddenly left
without a wife
and mother.
The crime was
amazingly simple
to solve. Follow
a blood trail
from the murder
scene to the
home of the
murderer.
Riley was
convicted, not
once, but twice.
He was sentenced
to death. That
sentence was to
be carried out
this past
September, but a
last minute
appeal caused a
delay.
Now, more than
20 years after
his crime, Riley
was in the Wood
County
Courthouse once
again. His
lawyers are
arguing that
Riley is
mentally
retarded and
should be spared
from the death
penalty. Judge
G. Timothy
Boswell, 402nd
District Court
has heard the
appeal. The
county’s
prosecuting
criminal
attorneys
presented a very
strong case
against the
mental
retardation
claim. An expert
witness—a
neuropsychologist,
two high school
principals and
coaches, a
high-school
teacher,
probation
officers, jail
and justice
officials all
presented
testimony that
Riley was not
retarded.
Indeed, even
Riley himself
was quoted as
saying, “I am
not retarded.
And, I don’t
need to take any
more tests.” One
of Riley’s
defense
attorneys said,
“We decided to
appeal on the
mentally-retarded
basis because we
discovered there
might be grounds
for it. Where
there’s smoke,
you have to see
if there’s
fire.” Boswell
has asked
lawyers from
both sides to
submit written
summary
statements. He
will present his
recommendation
to the Texas
Court of
Criminal
Appeals, which
will then rule.
Another delay of
two months is
expected for
this process.
