Autopsy confirms father killed children, self
ROSTRAVER TWP. – A Westmoreland County man shot his three children before killing himself in a ghastly murder/suicide, according to autopsy results released Monday. The bodies of Daniel L. Riley, 39, of Belle Vernon and his children – 8-year-old Kate, 6-year-old Michael and 4-year-old Julia – were found in an upstairs bedroom of Riley’s 320 Mohawk Drive residence Sunday evening.
Autopsy results released Monday by the office of Westmoreland County Coroner Ken Bacha determined Riley and the children died from gunshot wounds to the head.
The autopsies were conducted Monday by forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht.
A spokesman for Bacha’s office said Kate Riley and Michael Riley each sustained two fatal bullet wounds to the head, while the youngest, Julia Riley, was shot once.
Riley died from one self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, the spokesman said.
Autopsy results show the father and children were shot Saturday.
The spokesman said the four were last heard from Saturday evening and that there is evidence the family ate dinner together before the killings occurred.
Rostraver Township Police said Monday that Riley had picked the children up for a weekend visit Friday evening.
Police Chief Greg Resetar said a relative found the bodies around 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Officials close to the investigation said the mother of the children, Felicia L. Riley of Greensburg, arrived at the residence early Sunday evening to pick up the children and allegedly called her estranged husband’s brother when she could not get in the house.
Officials said the couple had recently separated and shared joint custody of the children.
Resetar did not confirm that man who found the bodies was Riley’s brother, only referring to the person as a “family member.”
According to Resetar, the relative allegedly found the bodies dead inside the stately home, which neighbors said contained several pictures of the children.
The house, located in the upscale Shawnee Point development complex, is nestled among many other recently constructed homes.
Neighbors maintained a distance Sunday night, with the majority of people staying inside their dimly lit homes, peeking at the cordoned-off house from behind curtained windows.
Those who did talk briefly to the media said they didn’t know the Rileys that well.