A 22-year-old woman from Cincinnati, Ohio, is accused of driving to her mother’s Southfield home late Sunday night and fatally shooting her during what police say was a premeditated attack. The suspect, Riley Donaldson, is now charged with first-degree premeditated murder.
According to Chief Elvin V. Barren, officers were called to a home on Bainbridge Drive around 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, October 5, 2025, after reports of gunfire. When officers arrived, they found Donaldson’s mother dead inside the home with gunshot wounds to the chest, back, and a wound to the head. A 77-year-old woman, who is the suspect’s grandmother, and a three-year-old child were inside but were not hurt.
Chief Barren said the murder appeared premeditated and likely connected to an ongoing custody dispute over the three-year-old. “I believe that’s a contributing factor to the conflict between mother and daughter — the custodial rights of the child,” Barren said. “The mother was very accommodating, allowing her daughter to see the child whenever she wanted, but being upset that her mother had legal custody probably brewed other conflicts.”
Police records show that in August 2025, officers had responded to the same address after Donaldson allegedly took the child and family dog without permission. The child was later found safe in Toledo, Ohio, but the dog was never recovered. Her mother later filed paperwork to have Donaldson hospitalized for a mental-health evaluation.
Investigators say home surveillance video showed a dark-colored Chrysler 300 pulling into the driveway minutes before the shooting. Donaldson was seen entering the house, then fleeing shortly after. Detectives later found her purse inside the home containing her identification. She allegedly fled to Ohio immediately after the murder and was arrested the next day in Detroit, after detectives tracked her vehicle to a CVS near Seven Mile and Greenfield.
Chief Barren said Donaldson’s actions showed awareness and planning. “When she was arrested, she referred to herself as God,” he said. “But when detectives tried to interview her, she immediately asked for a lawyer. She’s very conscious of what she’s doing.”
Donaldson faces charges of first-degree premeditated murder and felony firearm. She is being held without bond.
Chief Barren described the case as a devastating act of family violence, saying, “Families lose two people — one to the criminal-justice system and another to death.”
