Riley, then 3 years old, captured the hearts of law enforcement officers when they saved her after her father killed her mother in North Carolina, abducted her, and crashed their vehicle on Interstate 24 near Murfreesboro on January 4, 2022.
Following the crash, her father, Brent Bockes, took her to a Murfreesboro motel. An Amber Alert issued for Riley matched the vehicle involved in the crash, leading Rutherford County Sheriff’s deputies, Murfreesboro Police officers, and K9 Officer Cody Shanabarger with K9 Beau to the location. Bockes was arrested, and Riley was safely recovered.
Officers comforted her with care and pizza, while children at the motel shared clothes with her. The community quickly rallied around Riley until her adult sister, Erikka Emmons, was able to bring her home a few days later.
Bockes pleaded guilty to second-degree murder of Deanna Michelle Bockes on Oct. 4. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors said he admitted to committing the murder in Riley’s presence and was on probation at the time. Superior Court Judge C. Winston Gilchrist ruled that the circumstances justified the life sentence.
Emmons said she was at peace with the sentence, knowing Bockes would never be free again. “With him getting life without parole, I feel satisfied and just knowing he could never get out and never hurt Riley and our family,” she said. “I’m just glad that justice has been served and he can’t hurt anybody else.”
Riley, who now calls Emmons “Mom,” lives in North Carolina with Emmons, her husband Jonathan, and their three children. She is thriving in second grade, loves school, makes friends easily, and enjoys playing outside on the swing set and with the family’s cats.
After she was located, officers cared for Riley until she was placed in a foster home and reunited with her family. Detective Lt. Steve Craig of the Criminal Investigations Division said local businesses, churches, and residents donated hotel rooms, meals, and funds to support the family during their stay in Murfreesboro.
“How incredibly proud I was of the community getting behind this family who had been in a tragedy,” Craig said.
Emmons expressed her gratitude to the people of Rutherford County and Murfreesboro. “We appreciate what everybody did for us,” she said. “We are thankful. There is no way we can say how much it meant to us and how grateful we are.”
After Bockes’ plea, the Lee County District Attorney’s Office sent an email to Rutherford County detectives and deputies, thanking them for their compassion and cooperation. “Erikka spoke often about the support and care you provided to them while in Tennessee, and after,” the message read. “Your kindness during such a horrific time was everything. Thank you.”
Craig said the email described the cooperation with Rutherford County law enforcement as the best the prosecutors had experienced with an outside agency in 25 years. “The compliment paid by the assistant district attorney was incredible,” he said.
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