Merced victims of violence remembered

Tears welled up in a mother’s eyes, her voice cracking with emotion, as she shared happy memories of the two sons she lost to violence less than a year apart.

Marylene Riley, 60, has organized a remembrance walk for the past eight years to give Merced-area families the opportunity to mourn their loved ones, and to teach the next generation to live without violence. She lost her sons Michael and Marlis in 2008 and 2009.

“(The walk) is to keep my sons and other victims, to keep their face and names out there, especially those whose cases haven’t been solved,” she said.

That includes Michael Riley, who family described as quiet, studious and always serious. A Navy veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, he was a 29-year-old honor student at Merced College when he was shot to death the night of Oct. 7, 2008, outside Village Meadows Apartments in the 1100 block of Loughborough Drive.

Police found him lying in a flowerbed, she said, and he succumbed to his gunshot wounds about an hour later. According to his family, he wanted to work as a pro bono lawyer.

“Michael was a young old man,” his mother said with a laugh. “He had an old spirit.”

The walk Saturday stopped in three places in the Loughborough neighborhood where children released balloons, loved ones set out roses and the marchers paused to listen to songs.

If Michael Riley was the all-business brother, family members said, Marlis was all party. He was known for his smile and jokes, according to Sonia Riley, 42, the oldest sibling of the brothers.

After his brother’s death, Marlis Riley registered for college. He knew school was important to his brother, family said, so he wanted to follow in his footsteps.

On Sept. 12, 2009, Marlis Riley, 27, was killed after a fight with two men, Nicholas Terrill Rhodes, 27, and Donald Emory Watts, 40, at a residence in the 1400 block of Conestoga Drive. Both men pleaded no contest to charges of involuntary manslaughter and were sentenced to four years in prison.

It was only by leaning on each other and those around them that the family withstood tragedy twice in less than a year, Sonia Riley said. “My mom, she’s very strong,” she said. “We all mourned differently. The walk helped. Family gatherings helped.”

“It really doesn’t get any easier,” she said.

The third stop was at an apartment complex along Denver Avenue where Duane Caradine, the son of Stacy Winzer, 50, was shot to death Aug. 12, 2007, at the age of 18. His killer has not been brought to justice either.

Winzer, who rode the train in from Fresno, said her son was a good student, and she still can’t understand why anyone would want to hurt him. The walk has been a blessing, she said, and she encourages other victims to take part.

“I appreciate it,” she said. “This is good what (Marylene Riley) does for all the parents.”

Walking along side the family and friends was Detective Joe Deliman of the Merced Police Department. He said the night Michael Riley was killed, it all happened outside a party, so there are likely witnesses who know who pulled the trigger.

“I’m still actively working and talking to the people who were there,” he said.

Police are asking anyone with information about the killings of Michael Riley or Duane Caradine to call Deliman at 209-385-6992 or the department’s anonymous tipline at 209-385-4725. Tips are kept confidential and callers can remain anonymous.

There is a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of his killer, according to Deliman.

This story was originally published October 8, 2016 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Merced victims of violence remembered."