An Oklahoma grandmother, aged 63, is expected to spend the rest of her life in prison after the tragic death of her 3-year-old granddaughter, whose body was found decomposing in a trash can for several days.
Cleveland County District Court Judge Lynne McGuire has sentenced Becky Ann Vreeland to life in a state correctional facility for the 2022 murder of young Riley Lynn Nolan, according to court records.
Officials have charged Vreeland with the fatal beating of Riley, claiming that the marks left on the bathroom wall were comparable to the size of a child’s head.
Last week, Vreeland entered a no-contest plea to a charge of first-degree murder related to Riley’s death. In Oklahoma, a life sentence equates to 45 years according to state law. Vreeland is required to serve a minimum of 85% of her sentence, which translates to over 38 years. This means she won’t be eligible for parole until she reaches the age of 99.
A count of desecration of a human corpse was dropped as part of the plea deal.
On June 21, 2022, at approximately 2:22 p.m., officers from the Oklahoma City Police Department responded to a call regarding an unknown trouble at a residence in the 600 block of SW151 Street. First responders arrived to find a child had died at the home.
“Authorities discovered the remains of three-year-old Riley Nolan in a household garbage bin at the residence,” the statement indicates. “The child displayed clear indications of injury on her body.”
At the time of the incident, investigators reported that young Riley was being cared for by her grandmother, who has been named as Vreeland. Authorities took Vreeland to the department headquarters for questioning, and she was later booked into the Cleveland County Jail on murder charges.
Vreeland insists that her granddaughter’s death was a heartbreaking accident, consistently stating that Riley fell from a ladder in the backyard.
A homicide detective has testified that Riley’s body was found in a recycling bin located just outside Vreeland’s home. The bin held the young girl’s toys and was covered with two blankets, one featuring characters from the Disney film “Frozen.”
Investigators found blood spatter in various locations within Vreeland’s home, including the master bedroom and bathroom, as explained by the detective. Twenty-eight swabs were collected from the home and tested, with several returning positive results for Riley’s DNA.
The detective also stated that during the search of the master bathroom, officers discovered two small, circular indentations in the wall that “seem to match the size of a child’s head.”
Vreeland informed the authorities that she often stored Riley’s toys in the recycling bin located at the back of the house. She also stated that a pool ladder was positioned next to the bin, which she believed Riley used to climb before falling and dying. The grandmother reported discovering Riley’s lifeless body upon waking the next morning.
It was Vreeland’s former spouse, who is also Riley’s grandfather, who discovered the young girl’s body in the bin three days post her passing and subsequently alerted the authorities. Vreeland expressed that she refrained from contacting authorities due to concerns about them potentially removing her other grandchildren.
Authorities reported that the ladder beside the recycling bin lacked its base and would fall apart if anyone attempted to use it.