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A wall inside Marylene Riley's Merced home is dedicated to her late son, Michael.
There's a photo of him standing proudly on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the aircraft carrier he served aboard during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. An array of colorful Navy ribbons and service medals, along with pictures of Michael Riley with his commanders, also adorn the wall.
Marylene Riley's voice cracks when talking about her son -- a man she describes as the pride of her life. "He was my investment. My son was going somewhere. But he didn't brag about it," she reminisced, tears welling up in her eyes. "I am really proud of the life that my son lived, and the impact he had on people."
She now has one more badge of honor to place on Michael's wall.
Merced College's board of trustees presented Marylene Riley with a posthumous diploma in honor of Michael Riley on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old Navy veteran of six years was close to completing his coursework at Merced College when he was shot to death on Oct. 7 in the city's Loughborough Drive area.
Anne Newins, the college's vice president of student services, said the diploma was given not only to recognize Michael Riley's completed coursework, but to also acknowledge his myriad contributions to the campus.
A 4.0 student who served as a sailor in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Michael Riley was a member of the school's honor society. His academic achievements earned him two scholarships from the campus, and he was planning on transferring to either California State University, Stanislaus, or the University of California, Berkeley. His ultimate goal was to achieve a degree from Harvard Law School.
"This is a person who served his community and his country. It's a big loss," Newins said.
Lew Braxton, vice president of Merced College's board of trustees, presented the diploma to Marylene Riley. "Michael would be so proud and would be so happy," she told the board.
A scholarship in Michael Riley's name has also been established, Marylene Riley said.
Merced police said there have been some leads in the investigation into Michael Riley's death, but no new clues about who killed him and why. His body was found on a muddy patch of lawn outside the Village Meadows Apartments, in the 1100 block of Loughborough Drive.
Police responded to the scene around 12:30 a.m. after receiving a call of shots fired. They searched the area and found Michael Riley lying on the ground. Paramedics were called and he was taken to Mercy Medical Center Merced, where he was pronounced dead.
Sgt. Scott Skinner said police are hoping someone with information about Michael Riley's death will step forward. "We're still following some leads, but nothing groundbreaking has come in," Skinner said.
Marylene Riley said her greatest fear is that her son's death will remain unsolved. "My hope and prayer is that this case is not just cast to the side," she said. "I can't think of anyone wanting to hurt him. The only thing I can think is that someone was jealous."
Police are asking anyone with information about Michael Riley's death to call Sgt. Scott Skinner at (209) 385-4702 or the department's anonymous tip line at (209) 385-4725.
Reporter Victor A. Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@mercedsun-star.com.
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