The State Attorney’s Office said Friday it intends to seek the death penalty for Bryan James Riley in the Sept. 5 slayings of a North Lakeland family.
In its notice of intent, the State Attorney’s office said it intends to prove several mitigating factors that could justify the death penalty:
• That Riley was previously convicted of another capital felony or a felony involving the use or threat of violence. In this case, each death in this single incident would count as a previous capital felony.
• That he knowingly created a risk of death to many people.
• That the felony was committed while Riley was engaged in aggravated child abuse, arson, burglary, or kidnapping.
• That the felony was committed to avoid arrest.
• That the crime was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel.
• That the homicide was committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner without moral or legal justification.
• And one of the victims was younger than 12.
The grand jury released a 22-count indictment against Riley, 33, of Brandon on Tuesday. He is accused of killing Justice Gleason, 40, Theresa Lanham, 33, their 3-month-old baby boy, and Lanham’s mother, 62-year-old Cathy Delgado, in two homes on a shared property on North Socrum Loop Road. He’s also accused of attempting to kidnap and kill an 11-year-old girl in the home and engaging in a shootout with seven law enforcement officers who responded.
According to arrest affidavits, Riley was drawn to the family because he thought God told him there was a girl at the home who was going to commit suicide. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said he was rebuffed by the family the night before when he stopped and demanded to speak to a girl named Amber. They told him there was no one by that name at the residence and demanded he leaves. Authorities say he returned to the residence before 4:30 a.m. Sept. 5 and killed Delgado, then Gleason and Lanham and the baby. In a portion of a 911 call, revealed in an affidavit, a man can be heard shouting at the 11-year-old victim that her parents were child traffickers before shots ring out.
Authorities say Riley then engaged in a shootout with law enforcement but surrendered after being wounded.