A Missouri father will spend 17 years behind bars after his disabled adult son was found dead in shocking conditions inside the family home.
Lawrence Riehl, 62, entered an Alford plea to involuntary manslaughter, domestic assault and abuse of a person with a disability.
Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit to the alleged facts but acknowledges prosecutors likely have enough evidence to secure a conviction.
A judge sentenced Riehl to 10 years in prison for manslaughter and another seven years for assault, with the sentences to run back-to-back. He also received a one-year sentence for abuse of a disabled person, which will run at the same time as the other terms.
The case began after Riehl’s 21-year-old son was found dead inside the family’s Sullivan, Missouri, home on March 26, 2025.
Investigators said the young man was severely autistic and nonverbal and depended on others for his daily care.
When police entered the house, they were met with disturbing conditions.
According to court documents, the home was littered with trash, empty food containers and feces.
The victim was found naked on the floor of a bedroom, severely malnourished.
Investigators said he weighed only about 50 pounds despite standing 5 feet, 9 inches tall.
An autopsy later ruled his death a homicide.
Authorities said his knees had become locked in place after remaining in the same position for a prolonged period of time.
Court documents also said the young man choked on fecal matter.
Investigators concluded he may have eaten feces because he was starving.
The documents allege his condition had been deteriorating for months.
Doctors reportedly warned the family in March 2024 that he was suffering from severe weight loss, loss of body fat and muscle wasting.
By December, medical professionals said his condition had become so severe that he was losing the ability to walk and struggling to stand.
Investigators also examined what he was reportedly fed before his death.
Riehl told authorities that another son had made the victim pizza rolls the night before he died.
Detectives calculated the calories and determined that even if the victim had eaten all of them, the amount would still have fallen far short of normal daily nutritional needs.
Authorities estimated the young man was roughly 90 pounds underweight.
Months after the death, Riehl contacted the coroner’s office and reportedly acknowledged the family knew there was a serious problem.
According to court documents, he said they had been trying to get his son on Medicaid and placed in a facility.
He also reportedly said the family “did not neglect him, well maybe a little bit.”
Investigators said Riehl later contacted the coroner’s office twice asking about the death certificate because he had a life insurance policy on his son.
Washington County Prosecuting Attorney John Jones called the case a tragedy involving a vulnerable young man who depended on others for his most basic needs.
Riehl had originally faced more serious charges, including second-degree murder, before the case was resolved through the plea agreement.
