In the quiet community of Gaston, South Carolina, a mother of three was tragically killed in her own front yard, an act that would ultimately be described as a senseless killing. On October 11, 2017, 44-year-old Annette Riley was shot and killed following a verbal altercation that escalated to deadly violence. The woman responsible for her death was someone known to the family, a friend of one of Riley's daughters.
The day of the shooting, Chesnee Labri Mattress, then 25 years old, had
been at Annette Riley's residence. An argument broke out between Mattress and a member of Riley's family. Following the dispute, Mattress, who was armed with a firearm, fired multiple shots into a crowd of people gathered in the yard, fatally striking Riley. A witness at the scene immediately called 911 and identified Mattress as the shooter. Several other witnesses also confirmed to responding deputies from the Lexington County Sheriff's Department that Mattress was the perpetrator.
Investigators quickly located Mattress at her home, where they executed a search warrant and recovered a 40-caliber pistol. Forensic testing later confirmed it was the weapon used in the shooting. During the investigation, Mattress admitted to the shooting and acknowledged the pistol found at her residence was the one she had used. In the days following the murder, four other individuals were arrested in connection to the fatal shooting: Amaria Regina Hamm, 20, Ashley Danielle Riley, 29, Treshawn Alexander, 23, and Monyell Deshea Fulton, 22. All were charged with murder. Hamm and Mattress also faced additional drug charges stemming from a search warrant executed after their arrests.
In January 2020, Chesnee Labri Mattress was convicted of the murder of Annette Riley by a Lexington County jury after a four-day trial and approximately three hours of deliberation. She was also found guilty of Possession of a Weapon during the commission of a Violent Crime. The judge sentenced Mattress to thirty-five years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections for the murder, which is classified as a 'no parole' offense under state law. During the sentencing, the prosecution noted that the family was too emotional to address the court, expressing that they felt 'hurt and betrayed' by Mattress, who had been a friend to the family. Annette Riley was remembered as a loving mother and a proud grandmother of one.
