Riley Sawyer

**Riley Sawyers** (March 11, 2005 – July 24, 2007) was American girl.

## Early Life

Riley Ann was the daughter of Robert Thomas Sawyers and Kimberly Dawn Trenor. Her mother became pregnant at the age of 15 when the pair developed a relationship while students at Mentor High School. Her father dropped out of high school during his junior year. The family lived in Mentor, Ohio, with Robert's mother, Sheryl, who was Riley Ann's primary caregiver. During this time, Riley Ann's parents grew apart and were no longer a couple. They all continued to live in the same home. Riley Ann's father began dating a woman named Catherine Priester, whom he later married. In October 2006, alleging physical abuse and having filed a domestic violence charge against Trenor, Sawyers left the home. In May 2007, Trenor and Riley Ann moved to Spring, Texas. Trenor married Royce Clyde Zeigler, Jr. on June 1, 2007. Trenor met Royce Zeigler while playing *World of Warcraft*; Robert Sawyers had introduced the game to her and Trenor began putting a lot of time and energy into it

## Death

### Discovery

Riley Ann's body was discovered in Galveston Bay by a fisherman on October 29, 2007. A coroner discovered three skull fractures on the body, and the investigation then proceeded as a homicide case. The extent of the injuries was described as having similar force to falling from a rooftop. After police were unable to identify the remains, forensic artist Lois Gibson was recruited to create a forensic sketch to illustrate an estimation of the victim's appearance during life, as the body was unrecognizable. The unidentified body was then nicknamed "Baby Grace."

### Identification

National efforts began to uncover the identity of the remains and the reconstruction was released to the public. Eventually, Riley Ann's paternal grandmother, Sheryl, reported to authorities that the sketch resembled her granddaughter. Sheryl had discovered the sketch online when she made the connection between the cases. DNA testing later confirmed that the remains were that of the child, as authorities had already suspected, given the statements made by Riley's grandmother

### Confession

In a videotaped confession and signed affidavit, Trenor admitted that on July 24, 2007, she and Zeigler beat Riley Ann with two leather belts and held her head underwater in the bathtub. Trenor also stated that Zeigler picked Riley Ann up by her hair and threw her across the room, causing her head to slam into the tile floor. Riley Ann, having been injured by the beating, was unable to stand up when ordered to do so. "She didn't have control of her legs," Trenor stated. The child had also tried to hinder the beating by saying "I love you" to her mother as the abuse that night took place. She maintained that the death was accidental and that it was "a case of discipline that went too far." When they realized Riley Ann was dead, Trenor and Zeigler went to Walmart to buy a Sterilite plastic storage container. They wrapped Riley Ann's body in garbage bags and stuffed it into the plastic container. They kept this container in a storage shed for about two months before dumping it into Galveston Bay from a bridge near the Galveston Causeway.

Trenor forged legal documents as an attempt to conceal the murder. Such documents cited that Riley Ann had been removed from their custody due to alleged "sexual abuse." She claimed Zeigler had forced her to do so.