Independence, Missouri Woman Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping
Dena Riley and Co-Defendant Richard Davis Were Fleeing Arrest on State Charges at Time of Kidnapping

KANSAS CITY, KANSAS—Dena Delores Riley, 42, Independence, Mo., has pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping, U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch said today.

In her plea, she admitted that on May 25, 2005, she and co-defendant Richard Davis kidnapped a 5-year-old child who they took from Kansas to Missouri.

In her plea, Riley admits the following:

• On May 22, 2006, the District Court of Jackson County, Mo., issued arrest warrants for Riley and Davis charging them with homicide in Missouri. On May 23, 2006, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri filed complaints charging Riley and Davis with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Federal arrest warrants were issued at that time.
• On May 24, 2006, Riley and Davis visited Davis’ half-sister, Jodee Bryant, at her home in Arcadia, Kan. Not knowing that Davis and Riley were wanted, Bryant invited them to stay the night.
• On May 25, 2006, a 5-year-old child who was a member of the family was allowed to join Riley and Davis on a ride to McDonalds for lunch. Instead of going to the restaurant, Riley and Davis drove the child to Missouri for the purpose of engaging in sex with her. When the child’s parents realized the girl was missing, they called police.
• At 4:45 p.m. May 25, 2006, Riley placed a 911 call to the sheriff’s office in Lamar, Mo. She told the dispatcher that she and Davis were going to kill themselves. She said they were drinking and taking drugs. Shortly after that, officers arrested Riley and Davis and took the kidnapping victim to the hospital for treatment. The child had been injured during the sexual assault.

Sentencing is set for Sept. 14, 2009. Riley faces a penalty of not less than 20 years and not more than life in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Barton County (Mo.) Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department worked on the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri McCracken is prosecuting.

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