Marlene Olive was born in Norfolk, Virginia, to an unwed mother who placed her up for adoption. She was subsequently adopted by Jim and Naomi Olive. After living in Quito, Ecuador, for Jim’s work until Marlene was 14, they moved back to the United States, settling in Marin County, California.
After their return, Marlene - who was used to her privileged life in Quito - found it hard to adapt. Naomi - who was used to having an active social life, a lavish home, and servants - also found it hard to adapt. Marlene developed a stomach ulcer and was prescribed pills to combat the ulcer. She soon began to take these pills - and other drugs - recreationally and fell in with the wrong crowd. Naomi had difficulties dealing with Marlene’s behaviour and started to drink and get into screaming matches with her daughter. Marlene accused her mother of being an alcoholic while Naomi retaliated by telling her daughter she was nothing more than the unwanted daughter of a whore
When Marlene was 15-years-old, she met 18-year-old Chuck Riley and the duo started to date. Life at the Olive house soon became unbearable and Marlene referred to her mother as “that disease.” Jim attempted to keep the peace but it was unfruitful and soon, Marlene started plotting to kill her parents. On the 21st of June, 1985, while Marlene was out with Jim, Chuck crept into their home and bludgeoned Naomi to death as she lay on the daybed in her sewing room taking an afternoon nap. When Marlene returned with her father, he was shot dead. Following the murders, the couple wrapped the bodies in sheets, hauled them to China Camp State Park, doused then with flammable liquid and then set them on fire in an old sewage cistern user as a barbecue pit. When firefighters discovered the remains, they initially believed hunters had been roasting deer in the pit.
Following their arrests, the once-lovers turned on one another. Chuck claimed that Marlene had forced her to kill her parents. However, Marlene claimed Chuck killed her parents of his own accord and then forced her to take drugs. Chuck Riley was sentenced to death but his sentence was commuted to life in prison when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the death penalty in 1975. Marlene Olive was tried as a juvenile and sentenced to the California Youth Authority where she remained until she was released when she turned 21. In 2015, Riley was granted parole. However, this was soon reversed by Gov. Jerry Brown, who stated Riley “continues to downplay his active role in the planning and carrying out these murders.”
