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Poisoned Girl's Grandmother Defends Family

Rebecca Riley Died After Fatal Overdose

POSTED: 6:37 pm EST February 7, 2007
UPDATED: 6:53 pm EST February 7, 2007

The grandmother of the girl who died after an overdose of prescription medications defended her daughter and son-in-law, saying they were following doctors' orders.

NewsCenter 5's Amalia Barreda reported that Rebecca Riley's grandmother, Valerie Berio, said she was concerned about the medication the dead child and her siblings were taking, but said her daughter, Carolyn Riley and son-in-law, Michael, were just doing what they were told.

"Carolyn and Michael did not choose to take them to the psychiatrist. They did not choose to have the children medicated. If they didn't do what the psychiatrist and (Department of Social Services) and everybody else said they were supposed to do, they would have lost their kids," Berio said.

Berio's account differs drastically from court records indicating that her daughter, Carolyn, was getting and refilling prescriptions for the powerful drug clonidine for Rebecca more frequently than the 10-day span Dr. Kayoko Kifuji claimed to be requiring. At the time Rebecca died, her mother should have had a one-month supply of the drug, but investigators found less than a two-day supply in the Riley home.

"I don't know how to explain it all. She never got that many more than the children should have had," Berio said.

Berio said she blames Riley's doctors if the girl received too much medicine.

DSS, which has been following the family since 2002, said it questioned the amount of medication Riley and her siblings were taking. A spokesman said the agency discussed its concerns with medical professionals who reported back that the diagnosis of bipolar disorder and the care and prescriptions the children were getting were within the guidelines.


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