Family matriarch, 81, and her son and daughter all found murdered in Morgan Park house

Elderly woman, two grown children slain in Morgan Park

CHICAGO (CBS) -- An 81-year-old woman and her daughter and son, both in their 60s, were found murdered Tuesday afternoon inside a house in the Morgan Park neighborhood.

As CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported, the Riley family was torn apart Monday night. They remained on the scene outside the house in the 11300 block of South Green Street at 10 p.m. along with police, who had been investigating for five hours by then.

The matriarch of the family, Arteria Riley, was found dead in the home along with her two adult children. We are told the family had been living in the neighborhood for decades.

As investigators made their way through the home, they made one gruesome discovery after another.

The Fire Department was called to the scene to do a welfare check around 3:30 p.m. and found the bodies.

"I have no words," a dispatcher is heard saying over police radio. "You can't make this stuff up. It's like a movie."

Mother, adult daughter and son all found dead of gunshot wounds in Morgan Park home

Police said Mrs. Riley was found on the first floor. As investigators made their way upstairs, they found the bodies of her daughter Thomas Riley, 64, and her son, Rueben Riley, 61. 

Autopsies on Wednesday determined Arteria Riley died of multiple injuries from an assault, while her two grown children died of multiple gunshot wounds.

According to the police report on the shooting, Arteria Riley had a gunshot wound to her right wrist, and bruising around her neck; Thomas Riley had a gunshot wound to the right side of her head and a gunshot wound to her upper left thigh; and Rueben Riley had a gunshot wound to the right side of his head and a gunshot wound to his back.

Thomas Riley's daughter had come to the home Tuesday afternoon after getting a call that she had not shown up for work, according to a police report. 

She had last spoken to her mother Monday evening, and went to the home with two other relatives to try to get inside, but found the doors locked. They were able to get into the house through a bathroom window, and found Arteria Riley's body, and immediately called 911, according to the police report.

Apparently, whoever was responsible for the killings tried concealing Rueben Riley's body.

"We actually just located him. He was hidden under some coats and like a half a bed, and a dresser that was flipped on top of him," an officer is heard saying over police radio.

Family matriarch, 81, and her son and daughter all found shot and killed in Morgan Park house

Police sources said two 10mm shell casings were recovered at the scene, along with four .45 caliber shell casings. One fired bullet was found at the scene.

Investigators spent much of the afternoon going door-to-door, talking with neighbors to find out if they saw anything and asking for surveillance video.

"I didn't hear anything; never known anything was wrong," said a neighbor who has known the family for more than 30 years, but asked to remain anonymous. "They looked out for us, and we looked out for them. If we were going out of town, or anything, they would keep a look on our house; and if they were going somewhere for a weekend, we would look out for their house. We just was really good neighbors."

Area Two detectives are conducting a homicide investigation. As of Wednesday afternoon, no arrests had been made. Police are looking for a silver 2008 Chevy Trailblazer that was taken from the home.

CBS 2's Charlie De Mar did talk with some family members, but late Tuesday, they were looking for privacy.

3 family members found dead inside home in Morgan Park
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