Second Brother Killed on Merced Streets | ABC30 Fresno

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By ABC30

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Merced, CA Merced Police found Marlis Riley unconscious in an alley in the 1100 block of Conestoga early Saturday morning. The 27 year old man had apparently been hit in the head by another man during some kind of party or get together. Police arrested Donald Watts Jr. on Manslaughter charges. The 39 year old is in the Merced County Jail. Riley's parents don't understand how or why this happened.

His mother Marylene said, "It's just not fair. And it hurts."

Marylene Riley says this happened just as Marlis was working to turn his life around. He'd gotten a high school diploma and was enrolled in Merced College.

Marylene said, "He wanted to be a youth counselor and he was on the right road. His brother Michael would always encourage him you know about going back to school and getting himself together and taking care of his children and he was doing it. After Mike's death it was a really rough time for Marlis, because they were always close."

Michael, seen here on the right in a picture with a sister, and Marlis, was killed last October. Michael, a Navy veteran was graduating from Merced College and had earned a scholarship to a University when he was shot to death. He was 29 years old.

His parents and three surviving brothers and sisters, are now coping with the loss to their family. Marylene puts it this way, "It's just going to be a minute by minute process. Not day by day. Minute by minute."

In addition to his parents and siblings /*Marlis Riley*/ is survived by two children a boy and a girl aged eight and six. Funeral arrangements are pending.