Who is Becky Ann Vreeland? Oklahoma grandmother accused of killing 3-year-old granddaughter appears in court
CLEVELAND, OKLAHOMA: A 62-year-old Oklahoma grandmother, accused of savagely claiming the life of her three-year-old granddaughter last year, appeared in court this week after a judge ruled that the state’s case against her can proceed. According to Cleveland County Special Judge Scott F Brockman, there was adequate evidence for the case against Becky Ann Vreeland to be bound over for trial.
Oklahoma City Police Department provided a press release where they state that OCPD officers responded to a “trouble unknown call” at about 2.22 pm on June 21 last year at a home located in the 600 block of SW151 Street. Emergency responders learned about the deceased child at the residence upon arriving at the scene. “Officers found the body of three-year-old Riley Nolan in a residential trash receptacle at the home,” the release stated. “The child had obvious signs of trauma to her body," it added.
Who is Becky Ann Vreeland?
Vreeland killed her own three-year-old granddaughter Riley Lynn Nolan last year and left the child’s body to decompose inside a bin in her yard for several days. She is facing one count of first-degree murder and one count of desecration of a corpse. In the release, investigators said young Riley had been under the care of her grandmother at the time of the incident.
The granny was transported to the department headquarters by the authorities where she was questioned and eventually booked into the Cleveland County Jail on suspicion of murder. Vreeland has maintained her innocence since her arrest, alleging that Riley fell from a ladder in the backyard.
Disturbing details about the grisly crime scene were revealed
On Tuesday's hearing, July 18, harrowing new details about the crime scene were revealed in witness testimony. According to a report from Tulsa, Oklahoma CBS affiliate KOTV-DT, an OCPD homicide detective told the court that Riley’s body was found inside of a recycling bin right outside of Vreeland’s residence. The bin also contained the victim's toys and had been covered with two blankets, one of which depicted characters from the movie 'Frozen'.
The detective also explained that investigators located blood spatter throughout the home, including in the master bedroom, master bathroom, and several other areas of the home. Oklahoma City ABC affiliate KOCO-TV reported that 28 total swabs were taken from inside of the home and analyzed which came back positive for Riley’s DNA.
Moreover, the detective testified that police found two small, circular indentations in the wall which “appear to be the size of a child’s head,” while searching the master bathroom.
Vreeland's absurd claims
Vreeland said that she regularly kept Riley’s toys in the recycling bin at the back of the house in an interview with KOCO last September. She also claimed that there was a pool ladder next to the bin, which she supposed Riley climbed up, then fell off and died. Vreeland reportedly alleged that she found Riley dead when she woke up that morning.
However, Riley's grandfather and Vreeland's husband discovered the girl's decomposing body in the bin three days following her death. Vreeland told the station she did not call the authorities fearing they would take her other grandchildren away from her.
Vreeland’s formal arraignment hearing is scheduled for August 18.