(Dignity Memorial).
In a heartbreaking case, 21-year-old Macie Marie Silvey from California has been sentenced to 33 years to life in prison for the murder of her 2-year-old daughter, whom she poisoned with prescription medication. According to Shasta County prosecutors, Silvey left the toddler, identified as Rylee Marie Silvey, to die in a car after administering the fatal drugs.
The tragic incident occurred on January 5, 2023, when law enforcement and emergency medical personnel responded to a distress call about an unresponsive child in a vehicle near Deschutes Road and State Highway 44 in Shasta County. Despite being rushed to the hospital, the child later died that evening. A pathologist’s report revealed that Rylee had between seven and 15 different prescription drugs in her system.
Silvey was charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping and pleaded guilty to both charges in May. Though prosecutors did not release the name of the victim due to her age, other reports and an obituary identified her as Rylee Marie Silvey.
Investigators determined that Silvey had intentionally given her daughter a combination of prescription medications and ignored clear signs of overdose. Instead of seeking medical help, Silvey drove Rylee to a remote area of Shasta County and delayed seeking assistance for several hours, a decision that ultimately led to her daughter’s death.
Initially, Silvey claimed that the child had accidentally opened the medication bottles at home. However, her story began to unravel when she refused a lie detector test and attempted to stage a suicide, leaving behind a note and fleeing without her phone. She then obtained a fake ID and a new phone number, but investigators were able to track her down.
During the investigation, Silvey provided conflicting accounts of the events, at one point admitting that the medications were stolen from her mother and left open. Despite extensive questioning, her motive for the crime was never revealed in court.
At the sentencing, Rylee’s grandfathers delivered emotional statements, expressing their grief and disbelief over the tragedy. John Harrison, Rylee’s paternal grandfather, voiced his devastation, saying, “When I found out that she died, I really can’t express the anguish I felt. Macie, what you did was monstrous. I will never understand why you did it. She never got to grow up. Macie, you have a lot to atone for.”
The courtroom was left with the haunting memory of a little girl whose life was tragically cut short by the very person meant to protect her.
