Woman Pleads Guilty in 5-Year-Old's Kidnapping

A woman involved in a spree of videotaped sex murders with her boyfriend has entered a guilty plea to kidnapping a 5-year-old girl as the couple were fleeing from police in 2006. Dena Riley, 42, has previously entered guilty pleas to murder in an effort to avoid the death penalty.

Her boyfriend, Richard Davis, was convicted of murder and was sentenced to death.

Both Riley and Davis were accused of the murder of 41-year-old Marsha Spicer, who was raped, tortured and suffocated at their Independence, Missouri apartment. The couple videotaped the attack and death of Spicer, whose body was found May 15, 2006 in a shallow grave in Bates City, Missouri, east of Kansas City.

As the couple was fleeing to avoid prosecution in Spicer's murder they stayed with relatives of Davis in Arcadia, Kansas, where they kidnapped the 5-year-old girl. They told the girl's family they were taking her to a restaurant, but they never returned.

Child Was Sexually Abused?

The child was still with them the following day when they crashed their pickup truck and called 9-1-1 to turn themselves in. The child had injuries consistent with sexual abuse when she was found.

In December, Riley agreed to plead guilty to the Spicer murder and the kidnapping to avoid the death penalty. She was sentenced to life without parole for Spicer's murder and to eight additional life sentences. She has also been given 239 years in prison on 25 other counts. All of her sentences will be served consecutively.

Both Riley and Davis sill face capital murder charges in Clay County, Kansas in the death of Michelle Huff-Ricci, 36. They also face charges of kidnapping, sodomy, sex abuse and assault in that case.

See Also:
Mo. Woman Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping 5-Year-Old

Earlier Articles:
Missouri Couple Charged With Girl's Kidnapping
More Bodies Turn Up in Missouri Case
Fugitive Couple Surrender in Missouri

What's Your Opinion?
Discuss The Davis-Riley Case

^{Photo: Mug Shots}