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State seeks death penalty for ex-Marine in family's deaths

Quadruple murder suspect Bryan Riley
Posted at 12:46 PM, Sep 24, 2021
and last updated 2021-09-24 12:46:35-04

LAKELAND, Fla. (WTXL) — Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for a 33-year-old former Marine accused of massacring a Florida family under the delusion that they were child sex traffickers.

The state attorney's office said Friday that the Sept. 5 killings of the Lakeland family were “committed on a cold, calculated and premeditated manner.”

Bryan Riley is accused of fatally shooting 40-year-old Justice Gleason; his 33-year-old girlfriend, Theresa Lanham; their baby boy, Jody and 62-year-old Catherine Delgado.

Gleason’s 11-year-old daughter survived despite several gunshot wounds. A grand jury indicted Riley on Tuesday.

Charges also included attempted murder, kidnapping, arson, burglary and animal cruelty for killing the family dog.