V.I. Senator's Son Charged with Georgia Murder

Stephen O’Reilly, son of Sen. Nereida Rivera-O’Reilly, turned himself in to police in Florida Monday and was arrested in relation to the stabbing death of his roommate, Brent Francis, in Gwinnett County, Ga., according to multiple newspaper and television news accounts.

According to a statement from the Gwinnett County Police Department, police were called to an incident in Snellville, Ga., at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Officers arrived on scene and found victim Brent Francis, 28, with multiple stab wounds. Gwinnett County Police Public Information Officer Jake Smith told the Source the dying Francis told officers O’Reilly had attacked him. Francis was taken to Gwinnett Medical Center where he later died as a result of the injuries.

Smith said police still have no motive and there wasn’t any information so far which indicated any drug interaction or other precipitating event.

According to the Gwinnett County police report O’Reilly fled the scene in Francis’ vehicle, a black 1994 Toyota Camry. Detectives obtained a murder warrant against O’Reilly based on Francis’s statement and evidence collected at the scene. Detectives issued a nationwide notice on the vehicle.

O’Reilly turned himself in to officers in Escambia County, Fla., at 7:25 p.m. Monday. Francis’s vehicle was located in Pensacola, Fla. O’Reilly is being held in Escambia County, awaiting extradition and transport back to Gwinnett County, according to Gwinnett County police.

Several media outlets, including the Florida Times-Union and WSBTV 2 in Atlanta, reported that O’Reilly is the son of a V.I. politician, and gave details of O’Reilly’s basketball career at the University of South Florida, indicating it is the same 24-year old Stephen O’Reilly.

Sen. Rivera-O’Reilly could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.