A Lake Superior Court jury convicted a Gary man of murder in the 2016 shooting death of a Gary woman.
Jurors deliberated four hours and 30 minutes Monday before signaling the verdict for Kevin D. Riley Sr., 38, who was found guilty of the murder of April Bailey, 39. He was also found guilty of the use of a firearm during the commission of the murder and to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. Riley faces from 50 to 97 years.
During closing arguments, deputy prosecutor Nadia Chivers reminded jurors of phone calls between Riley’s phone and Bailey’s phone on Jan. 13, 2016, the day she was murdered. Bailey’s daughter testified she heard Riley’s voice during a phone call.
Riley’s girlfriend, Marian Robertson, said she had learned that Riley had been cheating with Bailey and wanted to find out for sure if Bailey and Riley were involved. After the two women spoke outside Bailey’s home, they walked toward the back of Robertson’s car. Riley was sitting inside and the driver’s side window was rolled down a little. While Bailey continued to deny a relationship, Riley came out of the car, confirmed they were involved, and then shot Bailey in the face, Chivers said. Bailey died outside her home in the 4700 block of Delaware Street in Gary.
Defense attorney Mark Gruenhagen blasted the police investigation as biased and said investigators decided to eliminate Robertson as a suspect and charge only Riley, despite a lack of fingerprints or DNA linking the crime to Riley.
Lake Superior Court Judge Salvador Vasquez scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 11.
Ruth Ann Krause is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
