Granny Bashes Toddler’s Head In and Tosses Her In The Trash

Granny Bashes Toddler’s Head In and Tosses Her In The Trash

On June 21, 2022, officers with the Oklahoma Police Department were dispatched to a home located at 617 Southwest 151st Street for an “unknown trouble” call. For those unaware, an unknown trouble call is when the 911 dispatcher cannot understand the nature of the call, or the caller fails to make a voice response. Don’t worry, I had to Google that too.

When officers arrived at the scene, they made contact with a man named Lyle Wayne Nolan, who claimed to have found his three-year-old granddaughter inside a trash can in the backyard of the family home. Lyle wasn’t lying; when officers looked inside the trash can, they found the body of a young child who was already beginning to decay.

That child was Riley Lynn Nolan, a beautiful little girl with dark brown hair and big brown eyes. Riley was born on November 8, 2018, to parents Kyle Nolan and Denise Smith. The parents had been arrested and charged with child neglect in August of 2021. At the time of the couple’s arrest, they left their three children in the custody of Kyle’s mother, 60-year-old Becky Ann Vreeland. Denise was six months pregnant with her fourth child.

According to Kyle, who had been released from jail the same day Riley was discovered, he believed his mother could take better care of his kids than he could. However, what he came home to was a sight he could have never imagined.

“What I hear are the details on what had happened, like I just couldn’t imagine because my main thing was I hope that she didn’t suffer, and then to hear the details and just know that she did, it killed me,” Lyle stated.

According to Lyle, his now-ex-wife, Becky Ann Vreeland, told him an accident had occurred and she herself had found Riley in the trash can. In fact, she claims she initially found Riley on June 18th but could not be bothered to call the police or report her death to anyone. Instead, she allowed her beautiful little granddaughter to rot inside a hot trash can in the Oklahoma summer heat. The can also contained Riley’s toys and had been covered with two blankets, one of which depicted characters from the movie Frozen.

Allegedly, Becky and her three grandchildren were cleaning up a mess after maggots were found in the kitchen cabinets. It is unclear what exactly caused these maggots, as they generally don’t just appear in your kitchen cabinets amongst the canned goods and dry spaghetti. In my opinion, these were probably pantry moth larvae. Anyway, after they cleaned up the mess, Becky claimed that she and the children ate dinner together and they all went to bed.

According to Becky, when she woke up the next morning, she realized Riley wasn’t in her bed. She said she went into the backyard and saw that the lid of the trash can was closed. Supposedly, Becky had placed toys inside the trash can the night before and had left the lid open. She also told authorities she saw a five-to-six-foot-tall pool ladder beside the trash can which had not been there the night before.

Becky was claiming Riley had snuck out of her bed at night while everyone else was asleep, found the trash can full of toys, grabbed a pool ladder to get the toys, and suffocated to death from accidentally falling headfirst into the trash can. If this story sounds even slightly believable to you, please keep in mind that Riley was three years old, and it would have been physically impossible for her to carry a pool ladder of this size by herself to prop it up.

Becky told officers that she looked inside the trash can and saw Riley’s feet sticking out of the toys and noticed her head was buried within them. According to Becky, when she felt Riley’s feet, she could tell she was dead. She claimed she left Riley in the trash can because she was very upset about her death. She also didn’t want to have to tell her son that his daughter was dead until he got out of jail and had been able to have a happy Father’s Day with his other two children—as if he wouldn’t realize one of them was missing. Keep in mind, this was three days before Riley’s father, Kyle, was set to be released from jail.

She later went on to tell reporters that she did not call the police for fear they would take her other grandchildren away from her. However, the other two children told a much different story. One of the children reported they saw Riley the next morning in her bed but said she wouldn’t wake up. In fact, both children claimed that Riley had a purple bruise on her forehead.

When police searched Becky’s house, they found blood spatter all over the master bedroom, master bathroom, and several other areas of the home. A total of 28 swabs were taken and analyzed, many of which came back positive for Riley’s DNA. In addition, when searching the master bathroom, police found two small circular indentations in the wall which appeared to be the size of a child’s head.

Riley’s autopsy also contradicted the statements that her grandmother, Becky, made to police. During a preliminary examination, the medical examiner found three separate skull fractures that were not consistent with a fall, meaning it was impossible for them to have been inflicted by simply face-planting into a trash can full of toys. Additionally, according to the authorities, the ladder next to the trash can was missing its base and would immediately collapse if anyone tried to use it. According to Master Sergeant Gary Knight, officers found clear signs of trauma to the child’s body; the child had been dead for a period of time—at least, it had not just happened.

Due to these findings, Becky Ann Vreeland was arrested and charged with first-degree homicide and child neglect on June 24, 2022. According to legal documents filed by the District Court of Cleveland County, Becky was held in the Cleveland County Jail without bond.

Word of Riley’s death traveled quickly around the otherwise quiet neighborhood, leaving neighbors in shock after hearing the news. According to neighbor Jack Cribbs, he had never met the grandmother and said he only saw the children once or twice outside. He said, “It’s shocking that something like this is going on, just what, 200 yards away? I keep them in my prayers. Like I said, I didn’t really know the people. I hate to see anything like that happen to any child or even anybody.”

However, next-door neighbor Marcia Branham did know Becky and her children. The woman was nearly in tears over the situation. She said, “I wish I had paid more attention. I could have been some more assistance for her if she was having trouble. That kind of shocks me. I don’t understand it because, like I said, she seemed like a very hard-working grandmother and I could hear her play with the children in the backyard. To hurt a child on purpose, it’s just overwhelming. I see my grandchildren, I’m always telling them, ‘Don’t be so friendly, you can’t be, you can’t trust anybody.'”

On August 5, 2022, things took a bizarre turn in the case of Riley Lynn Nolan after Becky allegedly sent a handwritten letter and a proposal to Oklahoma News 4 (KFOR). In the letter, she asked for money and materials in exchange for an exclusive interview about her story. She went on to describe herself as being in desperate need of defense materials and money to prepare for her defense because she was broke. Some of the items Becky requested included over fifteen hundred dollars on her books and another one thousand dollar check to be mailed directly to the Cleveland County Jail, which she claimed would be used for research.

In the letter, Becky goes on to state (and this is a direct quote): “By depositing the funds, I will realize you want the deal and won’t sign for anyone else.” This letter also requests several supplies so that Becky could (and I quote) “do her work and clear her mind in preparation for her trial.” This included five books by self-help author Og Mandino, five adult coloring books containing oceans, food, fruits, animals, flowers, or nature of any kind, five packs of colored pencils, five 8×10 tablets, two sketch pads, 12 legal tablets, 40 stamped envelopes, and two pairs of reading glasses in two different strengths.

According to KFOR, they did not even consider the proposal because, like most news outlets, the station has a policy of not paying for interviews. Really, this only hurts Becky’s legal case. According to legal expert Ed Blau, “It doesn’t go to her state of mind; just goes to the fact that she’s trying to make some money.”

On September 7, 2022, Becky made an appearance at the District Court of Cleveland County for a hearing to determine her options to represent herself against the charges that were filed against her. She had actually made this request to represent herself back in July, which is generally never a great idea unless you have some sort of legal background. However, she had a change of heart and asked for a court-appointed attorney to represent her, saying it was in her best interest. After the hearing, Becky was led from the courtroom in handcuffs.

Even with all of the evidence stacked against her, she maintained her innocence, stating, “She died peacefully and I didn’t do it. I’d like an interview with the news to get my story out there, but I’m not allowed.”

Becky Vreeland tried to hand me a stack of papers before she went to face a judge today. She said those papers detailed her decisions. Then, as she left, she proclaimed her innocence: “She died peacefully and I didn’t kill her, man.” Claiming her innocence, Becky Vreeland says she didn’t kill her three-year-old granddaughter, Riley Nolan, who was found earlier this summer in a trash can; her body had been there for three days.

“I feel great,” Vreeland told me. She felt confident entering the courtroom today to decide if she would represent herself or accept a court-appointed attorney. I asked if her decision was clear when she tried to hand me a stack of papers. “Here’s my decision.” Officers took those papers, but that didn’t stop Vreeland from tossing them over the railing in the courtroom before officers picked them up again.

Vreeland stood before Judge Scott Brockman, who had advised her to get an attorney for the past few months. After Vreeland originally told him she wanted to represent herself, today she changed her mind and told the judge she believes it’s in her “best interest” to have resources through an attorney.

According to Alexis White, who represents the Cleveland County District Attorney’s Office, “It is her right to decide if she wants to hire an attorney or have one appointed to her, or if she wants to represent herself. The District Attorney’s office is still going to do our job to seek justice for the victim, Riley Nolan. We’re going to ensure a fair trial.”

Furthermore, the DA’s office claimed they do not have the authority to determine if Becky could or could not speak to the media. They said once Becky was assigned a court-appointed attorney, it would be up to her and her lawyer to decide on any interviews.

On September 12, 2022, Becky got her wish to discuss her side of the case with KOCO News 5, the same news station that she tried to solicit during her hearing. During that one-on-one interview, Becky said that she had custody of her grandchildren for 900 days while their parents served time in jail. She maintained that Riley’s death was an accident and claimed that she kept the toys in the trash bin in the backyard and a ladder next to it for the children to get the toys out. This directly contradicted her statement that the ladder hadn’t been there prior. She said that Riley must have fallen in and claimed that when she woke up and found her dead, she was looking “angelic and resting peacefully.” However, in the same breath, Becky said that she was ready to plead guilty and be put to death, which is a little strange if Riley’s death was a tragic accident like she’s claiming it was.

On June 21, 2023, a year after police discovered Riley’s body in her grandmother’s trash can, Becky went to court for a preliminary hearing that lasted three hours, where three witnesses were called to testify. This included a former tenant who had no idea Riley even existed until he found her sleeping in the laundry room two weeks after he moved into the home. Next was Becky’s ex-husband, Lyle Wayne Nolan, who made the initial complaint. He told the court that when he got to the house, he opened the lid to the trash can and saw Riley’s little foot sticking up, decaying, with maggots all over her body. The last witness to be called was the detective who responded to Becky’s address a year prior and interviewed the grandmother. During that interview, Becky admitted she had left bruises on her three grandchildren in previous times.

Vreeland was scheduled for a formal arraignment on August 18th. The prosecution also has an additional witness that has yet to testify and will do so at a later date. As this case is still developing, we’ll keep an eye out for updates as they become available.

At the time that Riley was discovered dead, her father, Kyle, was interviewed and claimed that he was hoping to regain custody of his remaining children. He said, “Not only did I lose my little girl, I lost my mom as well.” Riley’s mother, Janiece, had been sentenced to 90 days in jail with probation at her hearing. The judge said that she hopes that Riley’s death will help the mother take steps to make changes. The judge also recommended that the couple’s children and new baby be turned over to DHS, but it’s unclear if that actually happened.

Riley’s funeral service was held on August 2, 2022, at the Memorial Park Funeral Home in Oklahoma City. She was laid to rest at the nearby Memorial Park Cemetery.

In closing, I would like to share with you Riley’s obituary. It is probably one of the most magical and creative obituaries that I’ve ever come across in my four years of writing for this show. I’m going to have Drewby read this part because, for me, I’m bound to get pretty emotional if I try to read it myself.

“Once upon a time in a castle far away, a beautiful princess was born, and her name was Riley Lynn. She filled their lives with an everlasting sunshine. Then, a great holiday was proclaimed throughout the castle, and our story begins on that most joyful day. Everyone who met Princess Riley was graced with a smile that could warm a room and a sweetness that never wavered. Princess Riley treated all of those who dwelled in the castle with kindness and love, never knowing a stranger. She would greet everyone with a hug and a kiss. Being a princess was hard work, and for the least, it was a duty she was happy to take on.

Princess Riley was always dressed in the most elegant ball gowns, along with jewels, headbands, and shoes of all sorts, which were only fit for a princess of Riley’s kind. It wasn’t all work for the princess; anytime you saw Riley in the castle, you saw her sis and Bubba right by her side. Even living the most royal life, she was able to watch Frozen, Peppa Pig, PAW Patrol, Trolls, and Sofia the First. The princess always had her Peppa Pig and Skye from PAW Patrol stuffed animals to attend royal events as her trusty steeds. On special occasions, she would dress herself up in her Peppa Pig and Sofia the First pajamas. In true princess fashion, her favorite meal to have at the balls was steak, and everyone happily obliged. Riley was the princess every girl in the land wished to be just like. There was never a time you wouldn’t see her with utmost joy. She was a true princess.

Princess Riley received a most honorable invitation from a King calling on her to accompany him to a grand ball in his kingdom. The princess was honored to accept. The King sent the most beautiful white dress and a crown. Once the princess was ready to take off on her journey to the kingdom, she gave her siblings the biggest hugs and kisses. Once the princess arrived at the ball in her chariot, she realized the ball was in her honor. She was speechless. The King approached Princess Riley, and she felt as if she knew him from somewhere. He called himself Jesus. He asked the princess to accompany him to a dance. As they danced, Jesus invited Princess Riley to stay in his kingdom on the hill. Though she would miss her life in the castle, she felt that this kingdom needed a Princess Riley. She knew her siblings would take good care of all in the castle and one day they would join her in his kingdom too.”