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Riley v. State

The trial court did not err in refusing to allow defendant's psychologist to testify about false confession theory where the expert concluded that the theory had not reached a verifiable stage of scientific theory.

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A jury convicted William David Riley, Sr., of three counts of malice murder and two counts of first-degree arson. The murder victims were Riley’s three young children. The jury recommended a death sentence for each murder after finding beyond a reasonable doubt seven statutory aggravating circumstances. OCGA § 17-10-30 b 2, 7. The trial court denied Riley’s motion for new trial, and he appeals. We affirm the convictions and sentences.1 1. The evidence presented at trial showed the following: at approximately 10:45 a.m. on August 16, 2000, a fire broke out in a trailer at the Pine Valley Mobile Home Park. The trailer was rented by Riley, who lived there with his girlfriend, Jacque, and his three children, 6-year-old Ashley, 5-year-old William, and 3-year-old Samantha. Riley’s friend, Wayne Atnip, was also living there and sleeping on a couch. All three adults escaped the fire. All three children died.

Neighbors and firefighters reported odd behavior by Riley during the fire. They testified that he did not try to save his children and that his demeanor was cold, unemotional, and dry. While the trailer was burning, and before the firefighters arrived, he ran to the back of the trailer, yelled for his children to awake, banged on the outside wall a few times, and then moved his car away from the trailer. He was the only adult who escaped the fire fully dressed. He had some ash and soot on his face and in his nose, but no burns on his hands, arms or anywhere on his body.

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