Man accused of murdering infant stands mute on charges

HOUGHTON — Two Hancock men who were bound over on separated cases this week in Houghton County were arraigned today. ABC 10’s Keweenaw Bureau Reporter Rick Allen has the details.

27–year–old Benjamin Reilly stood mute to all seven charges read against him Houghton County Circuit Court. The most serious charge against the Hancock man is Involuntary Manslaughter in the death of his infant son, whom police say he gave an alcoholic beverage to and then placed in an unsafe sleeping environment.

He is also charged with two counts of child abuse and several charges relating to a break in at Finlandia University. Since he stood mute, a “Not Guilty” charge was entered on his behalf.

Reilly will be back in court in about a month for a pretrial. In an unrelated case, 26–year–old Nicholas Edwards entered into a plea agreement in a counterfeiting case against him.

The Hancock resident pled guilty to a 10 year felony counterfeiting charge and a 5–year attempted counterfeiting charge.
Edwards testified that he had printed up several $20 bills from the internet and then tried to exchange them for change at local businesses.

The plea agreement stipulates that his sentences would run concurrently and he would not spend more than eight months in the county jail.

Edwards will be sentenced in about four weeks.