Mass. father accused of giving daughter prescription drug overdose blames wife, psychiatrist

Mass. father casts blame in daughter’s drug death

BROCKTON, Mass. — The Massachusetts man accused of killing his 4-year-old daughter by overmedicating her with prescription drugs is blaming his wife and a psychiatrist for the girl’s death in 2006.

Michael Riley was depicted Tuesday as a father who was not involved with the drugs his daughter, Rebecca, was taking. Riley’s lawyer said Carolyn Riley was the parent who gave the girl drugs based on directions from Dr. Kayoko Kifuji (kah-YOH’-koh kee-FOO’-jee).

But prosecutor Frank Middleton told the jury during opening statements at Michael Riley’s murder trial that Riley repeatedly ordered his wife to give the drugs to the girl and the couple’s other two children to keep them quiet and out of his way.

Carolyn Riley was convicted of second-degree murder last month.