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It was day like any other late July day in East Texas, hot and muggy, when Royce Zeigler, 24, decided to stay home from work to help 19-year-old Kimberly, his new bride of less than two months, "discipline" Riley.

Riley had become a problem. The little two 1/2-year-old girl didn't have any "manners". She refused to learn how to say things such as "thank you" or "yes sir" or "please."

No one knows what happened that day other than Kimberly Ziegler's statement on November 24th to the investigators at the Galveston County Sheriff's Department.

Kimberly told a horrifically sadistic tale, one of where the little girl was beaten with leather belts, of holding Riley's head under water, of pillows being used to smother Riley, of Royce grabbing Riley by her hair and throwing her across the room, her tiny head hitting the hard tile floor. Royce giving Riley cold medication, of Riley, now dead, being covered by a purple towel.

Kimberly went on to tell how that evening they got into their vehicle and drove to Walmart to search for something they could store Riley's body in. How they walked the aisles until they found a blue plastic Sterling storage tote, a "Walmart" casket for little Riley.

They wrapped Riley in plastic and then laid her into the storage tote. They then put the storage tote in the shed that sat out in the back yard. Little Riley stayed in that shed, day after day, night after night, her body decomposing in the hot humid Texas heat while Royce and Kimberly thought about what to do next.

Eventually they drove 75 miles to the Galveston Causeway with the storage tote containing Riley in the back. It was there at the Causeway that Royce and Kimberly left Riley believing their troubles were finally over. No one would know who this little girl was, if anyone ever found her. At least they hoped.

On October 29th, approximately 105 days since that fateful morning when Royce stayed home from work to teach Kimberly how to "discipline" Riley, a fisherman near Green's Cut found a blue plastic storage tote, inside the decomposing body of a little girl.

Riley's father, 20-year-old Robert Sawyers of Mentor, Ohio, is finding it difficult to believe Kimberly could have been involved.

"I never thought she could do anything like this," Robert Sawyers, of Mentor, Ohio, said in an interview on NBC's Today show.

"I mean, she loved Riley . . . You can't not love that little girl
the first time you see her, you know," said Sawyers, 20. "It's
heart-wrenching to think she might have done this to such a beautiful
little girl." [1]

Royce's attorney, Neal Davis III, has said that Kimberly is pointing the finger of blame at Royce in an attempt to save herself.

Once we start sorting through these facts, her credibility will be a big issue."
Davis said it's too early to know what prompted the beating.

"Before we make any kind of comment about what would provoke that and who was
provoked, we need to delve into the facts," he said.[1]

It has been also reported that Kimberly is pregnant and housed in the medical wing of the Galveston County Jail.

Trenor (Kimberly) is being kept in the medical wing probably out of fear that
other inmates might attack her because of the nature of the
allegations, Child Protective Services spokeswoman Estella Olguin said.

Galveston County sheriff's spokesman Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said he
is prevented by law from discussing an inmate's medical condition, but
in general, inmates are isolated when other inmates pose a threat.

If Trenor gives birth while in custody, she will not be allowed to
keep the child, Olguin said. She said Trenor is 5 feet 7 inches tall
and 125 pounds and does not show, so it's unlikely that she is more
than two months pregnant.[1]

On a hot and muggy late July day in East Texas, 24-year-old Royce Zeigler decided to stay home from work in order to show his 19-year-old new bride Kimberly how to teach her little 2 /12-year-old daughter Riley, some "manners." How to say "thank you, please, and yes sir."

Source - Houston Chronicle
Source - Riley Sawyers: Mother's Grim Tale of Abuse and Death

By LGB





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The strange and baffling case of Baby Grace, the name given to the unidentified body of a little girl found October 29 on Galveston Bay, now has an added twist.

It was determined by autopsy that Baby Grace was between the ages of 2-4 with light brown to blond hair. In their attempt to solve the mystery of who Baby Grace is the local Galveston County Sheriff's Department and the FBI turned to cases of little girls reported missing that were close to Baby Grace's description.

GALVESTON — Investigators have requested DNA samples from the families of eight missing children, one of them from Spring, who fit the description of Baby Grace, a 2- to 3-year-old girl whose body was found in a plastic box on a sandbar in West Galveston Bay.

After receiving about 350 leads, investigators chose the eight cases from among 110 cases of missing children who matched the girl's description, Galveston County sheriff's spokesman Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said Wednesday.

The eight cases are from all over the United States, he said.

Authorities requested a DNA sample from the father and mother of the Spring girl, Tuttoilmondo said. The father lives in Ohio and the mother lives in Spring, he said.
DNA results from Baby Grace are expected late this week or early next week. Tuttoilmondo did not know whether the DNA samples from the Spring girl's father had been received. He said it takes two to three weeks to obtain DNA results once the samples arrive at the lab. [1]

The authorities didn't know little Riley Sawyers was missing until her father, Robert Sawyers, and grandmother Sheryl Sawyers in Ohio happened to see the story of Baby Grace and the sketch supplied by the authorities.



Who is Riley Sawyers?

Riley’s mother Kim had moved to Spring, Texas, last summer taking 2 1/2-year-old Riley with her.

Sheryl Sawyers told the station 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers moved to Texas with her mother, Kim Sawyers, last summer, after meeting a man on the Internet.

Since Riley was born, she and her mother were living with Sheryl Sawyers, Riley's paternal grandmother; however, Sheryl Sawyers said neither she nor her son, Robert, have heard from Kim since she moved Texas, MyFoxCleveland reports.

This week, Kim Sawyers told Texas police someone from Ohio came with papers demanding custody of the little girl and took her, the station reports. According to MyFoxCleveland, she never checked into the validity of the person.[2]

Riley’s Story

The Sawyers family can't sleep. Ever since they found out about the unidentified body of a girl in Galveston, Texas, the nightmares began to intensify.

Last summer, 2 1/2 year old Riley Sawyers went missing in Texas. Sheryl Sawyers had been helping her son and his girlfriend, Kimberly Zigler, raise the child. Last summer, Kimberly suddenly moved the child to Spring, Texas.

Kimberly had apparently met a new lover on the internet as she played the game, "World of Warcraft". Royce Zigler convinced Kim to move to Texas with her child.

A few months later, Kimberly Zigler told family members that a social worker from Ohio had taken Riley away from her last summer. However, no agency in Ohio has any information on removing any child from Texas.

Riley's grandmother doesn't buy Kim's story.

"To hand your child over and not call police and not file a missing person's report," said Sawyers. "It doesn't make sense."

Ray Sawyers, Riley's grandfather added, "That tells me something's fishy and something's suspicious. Very!" [3]

Riley Sawyers is missing

A little girl is now missing. Who is in charge of investigating her case in Harris County, separate from the Galveston County Sheriff's Department and the FBI whose focus is on identifying Baby Grace?

If Riley’s mother’s tale were true, that she thought she was handing her daughter over to someone from Ohio Social Services, the fact remains that the state of Ohio checked into her claim and said no one from their state is involved. This would make Riley's case an abduction by a stranger.

Riley’s information would have been added to the Amber Alert, to organizations such as National Center For Missing Or Exploited Children. The Harris County Sheriff’s Department would have begun a missing person’s case on Riley. A stranger abduction case means the child is in imminent danger.

On the other hand, Riley’s mother cannot produce her little girl and may have given a false statement as to the whereabouts of Riley. When a little three-year-old girl has disappeared and the custodial parent, Riley’s mother, cannot prove the child’s whereabouts shouldn’t the authorities launch a full-scale investigation of their own?

Shouldn’t there be some kind of concern for the health and welfare of little Riley Sawyers other than waiting for results from a DNA test which could take anywhere from one to three weeks?

DNA results from Baby Grace are expected late this week or early next week. Tuttoilmondo did not know whether the DNA samples from the Spring girl's father had been received. He said it takes two to three weeks to obtain DNA results once the samples arrive at the lab. [1]

“Two to three weeks to obtain DNA results”



A little three-year-old girl from Spring, Texas is missing, either abducted by a stranger or is possibly Baby Grace. Will the police begin an official investigation into where Riley is and/or what happened to her other than waiting "one to three weeks for the DNA results" to return? If she is not the dead Baby Grace in Galveston then time is wasting, evidence will disappear, as perhaps, those who are involved, will slip away too.

By LBG

Image [1] [MyFox Cleveland]
Image [2] [Galveston County Sheriff's Department]

Source [1]– Houston Chronicle – DNA samples may offer clue to Baby Grace’s identity

Source – [2] – Fox News.com - Ohio Family Thinks They Know Identity of 'Baby Grace'
Source – [3] - wkyc.com - Is 'Baby Grace' really 'Baby Riley' from Menton, Ohio?

MORE BABY GRACE-RILEY SAWYERS:
NEW: Baby Grace, Riley Sawyers: Possible Match

NEW! FBI Reward Comparisons

More Baby Grace stories
See Baby Grace news ticker in upper left-hand corner of this page.




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