Zumbro Falls Area Man Sentenced For Father’s Murder

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Wabasha, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Zumbro Falls area man has been sentenced to 36 years in prison for murdering his father.

46-year-old James Riley previously entered into a plea agreement with Wabasha County prosecutors and admitted to a second-degree murder charge. A first-degree murder charge that was issued by the Wabasha County Grand Jury was dismissed through the plea deal.

The criminal complaint in the case states that Riley admitted to investigators that he killed his father by striking him on the head with a hammer multiple times and stabbing him with a knife. The slaying occurred at the Riley family farm southeast of Zumbro Falls on March 5, 2021. The court record says Riley also admitted using a tractor to lift and carry the body of his 73-year-old father and place it in the trunk of a car on the farm.

Riley's mother called 911 after she discovered her husband's body when she noticed the car had been parked in a strange location and decided to open the trunk. She told investigators the father and son had a strained relationship and her son had spoken of a desire to kill his father.