Disappearance of Rilya Wilson

In January 2013, the jury convicted Graham of kidnapping and child abuse, but deadlocked 11-to-1 on the charge of murder. On February 12, the judge sentenced Graham to 30 years for kidnapping plus 25 years for aggravated child abuse. Two other abuse sentences—25 years and five years, respectively—will be served concurrently for a total of 55 years behind bars. Prosecutors had sought the maximum of life plus 65 years. At 67 years old at the time of sentencing, Graham will end up serving a life sentence.

In March 2005, a grand jury indicted Graham after she allegedly gave a detailed confession to Rilya's murder. Graham had confessed to inmate Robin Lunceford, who testified at trial over four days. In her testimony, Lunceford revealed that Graham admitted to killing Rilya because the child was "evil" and was plagued by "demons" from previous abuse. Her body was supposedly buried in a ravine close by a place Graham regularly visited for fishing and cookouts. Two other inmates also testified that Graham, while behind bars, suggested she killed the child.

Authorities denied that any state worker had ever taken Rilya for medical testing. They claimed to have first learned of Rilya's disappearance on April 25, 2002, the date she was officially reported missing. In March 2002, Muskelly and her supervisor resigned after allegations of fraud surfaced. Muskelly faced 41 criminal charges regarding her time with DCF, including grand theft. Muskelly pled guilty to one count of official misconduct, and was given five years' probation; the remaining charges were dropped. She never faced charges directly relating to Rilya's disappearance.

Manville Cash, a man currently incarcerated for auto theft and drug charges, was listed as the girl's "prospective father" on documents terminating Gloria's parental rights. In early 2002, Cash told authorities he last saw Rilya at the home of Pamela Kendrick, Cash's aunt and sometimes mistakenly referred to as Graham's sister. Kendrick briefly had custody of Rilya in 2000 before she was removed amid allegations of neglect. In August 2004, Graham was charged with kidnapping and three counts of child abuse, and Kendrick with two lesser counts of child abuse. Kendrick testified against Graham at her trial, claiming that both of them had spanked Rilya with switches and had locked her in a dog cage and in the laundry room.

The last recorded welfare check of Rilya was in early January 2001, by social worker Deborah Muskelly. Graham initially told investigators that on January 18, 2001, an unidentified African-American woman claiming to work for the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) took Rilya for an unspecified evaluation; this was the last time she supposedly saw Rilya. Despite this, Graham continued to cash checks from the state for Rilya's care. She further claimed that Muskelly was aware of Rilya's disappearance. Graham was later jailed for identity fraud and Medicaid fraud for accepting payments on behalf of Wilson after she was missing.

Rilya Shenise Wilson (born September 26, 1996) was an American foster child of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), and the centerpoint of an investigation into neglect and mismanagement in the organization. She was approximately four years old when she disappeared on January 18, 2001. DCF did not discover her disappearance until two years later, when she was not found living at the home of caretaker and alleged godmother or grandmother, Geralyn Graham.