A Linton woman is accused of battery resulting in bodily injury for allegedly getting into a fight with her estranged husband’s new girlfriend, and hitting her numerous times with a closed fist to the face, while the estranged husband, a police officer, was present.

Samantha Katherine Riley, 27, Linton, is facing a charge of battery resulting in bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor, as a result of an investigation by Indiana State Police Trooper Richard Klun.

Late on Wednesday, July 28, the Linton Police Department got a report about a battery. They forwarded it to the Greene County Sheriff’s Department. The sheriff’s department asked the Indiana State Police to investigate due to both local agencies having a conflict of interest.

ISP Trooper Klun was asked to respond along with Trooper Curtis Wilder.

Before midnight, Troopers Klun and Wilder were meeting with the alleged victim, a 27-year-old woman, and her sister and her mother. The victim said she was battered and injured by Samantha Riley, the wife of Joseph Riley. At that time, Joseph Riley was serving as an officer with the Linton Police Department.

The victim explained the Rileys were separated and lived apart and that she (the alleged victim) had been in a relationship with Joseph Riley. She said earlier that night, Joseph Riley had picked her (the alleged victim) up and they went back to his apartment in Linton, but Samantha Riley arrived and started banging on the door/window to the apartment. She said Joseph Riley opened the door and Samantha Riley came in.

According to the alleged victim, there was a verbal exchange and then Samantha Riley started hitting the victim with a closed fist to her cheek. She said she was hit numerous times which caused a laceration on a cheek and pain in her mouth and jaw area. Trooper Klun reported the woman did have a readily apparent laceration with redness, swelling and blood that had run down her cheek and chest. She also had bruising that was forming.

When Trooper Klun later talked to Joseph Riley at his apartment, Joseph Riley said an earlier phone conversation with Samantha Riley had not ended on good terms and afterward, he picked the alleged victim up and they returned to his apartment. He said Samantha Riley tried to call him but he didn’t answer then she showed up and was banging on his window. When he opened the door, Samantha entered without being invited. He confirmed there was a verbal exchange between the two women and the next thing he knew, they both got hold of each other and were fighting. He allegedly said he believed Samantha Riley was the aggressor and threw the first strike and the alleged victim was trying to defend herself. He allegedly said he doesn’t remember how the fight ended but after it was over, Samantha Riley left. He also said he wasn’t sure how the alleged victim got home.

When Troopers Klun and Wilder went to Samantha Riley’s residence, she confirmed she had been at Joseph Riley’s apartment but she asked if she had to speak to the troopers. After she was advised of the Miranda Warning, she then said she didn’t want to speak to them and they left her residence.

After information from the investigation was forwarded to the prosecutor’s office, a criminal case was filed against Samantha Riley on Wednesday, August 4, and a summons was issued ordering her to appear in court.       

Court records show that Samantha Riley filed a petition of dissolution of marriage on March 31 and the Rileys agreed to a settlement agreement but on June 11, they requested the case be dismissed.

After the domestic battery incident occurred in late July and the criminal case was filed against Samantha Riley, she filed a new case on Tuesday, August 10 - a petition of dissolution of the marriage.

A hearing on their divorce is currently set for Tuesday, September 7.

Samantha Riley is set to appear at her initial hearing on September 20 on the charge of domestic battery resulting in bodily injury.

Update: Joseph Riley was arrested over the weekend after another domestic incident occurred. He was arrested on Saturday, August 21, by Indiana State Police Trooper Curtis Wilder on a charge of domestic battery in the presence of a child, a Level 6 felony. This incident will be covered in a separate story.