Lee County man accused of killing wife has first court appearance

LEESBURG — Yathomas Riley had his first appearance in Lee County Magistrate Court on Tuesday before Judge Jim Thurman Sr. on charges of aggravated assault, felony murder and malice murder in connection with the July 10 shooting death of his wife, Dr. Lisa Riley.

Initially, the appearance was scheduled to address Riley’s unrelated bond revocation, for which he was arrested July 10 at the Northhampton Road residence in Leesburg. But Chief Assistant District Attorney Lewis Lamb suggested to the judge that a bond revocation in the face of the later murder charges was “moot.”

“This (Magistrate) Court can’t set a bond on a murder charge and, also, your honor signed the arrest warrant, so that’s a sufficient basis for the court to revoke bond without further hearing or evidence,” Lamb said.

Court officials said Yathomas Riley had been arrested on June 16 on three courts of aggravated assault for allegedly threatening Lisa Riley with a handgun. His bond was revoked during the murder investigation when he was found with handguns in the home, a violation of his bond, officials say.

Lamb further requested that Yathomas Riley’s first appearance on the murder charges take place at Tuesday’s hearing, stating that from the perspective of prosecutors it made “no sense” to conduct the bond revocation and first-appearance hearings separately.

Thurman agreed. “I don’t see how you could separate them,” Thurman said. “In my opinion they’re part and parcel.”

Thurman directed Riley to approach the bench and advised him of his rights, including the right to remain silent and his right to an attorney, either his own lawyer or one appointed by the court. When asked, Riley stated that he would hire an attorney.

Riley is being represented by attorney Mark Brimberry, but only on the three aggravated assault charges stemming from the alleged gun-pointing incidents before Lisa Riley’s death, according to Brimberry.

The charges against Riley were read to him and he was asked if he understood the charges. Riley stated that he did.

Thurman also advised Riley that he was entitled to a preliminary hearing to be set some time in the future.

“The only thing that can be determined at a preliminary hearing is if there is enough probable cause to bind your case over for trial; if there’s not enough evidence for trial, and if so the case will be dismissed, or if you’ve been improperly charged and you should be charged with something else,” Thurman said.

Thurman said Riley’s file would be forwarded to Lee County Superior Court Tuesday, which would handle any bond application submitted by Riley’s attorney.