Mother of Oliver George calls on Washington County DA to reopen case into son's death

Eight months after a jury found a Washington County man not guilty on all charges related to the death of his 6-month-old son, the child's mother continues to fight for justice.

In 2022, Joshua George was charged with homicide in the death of his son, Oliver George. Before being found not guilty by a jury in October 2025, Joshua George spent nearly four years behind bars awaiting trial, facing the possibility of the death penalty if convicted.

Caitlin Riffle, the mother of Oliver George, said she believes the true perpetrator remains at large.  

"A person who took away my son is walking free every day; it's sickening, and somebody knows what happened to him," Riffle told KDKA-TV.

In December 2021, Oliver George was rushed to UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh with severe head trauma after he was found unresponsive at a home in Washington County. He died a few days later, and his death was ruled a homicide.

"I want the case reopened," Riffle said.

Riffle told KDKA-TV that from the beginning, she believed someone else should have been charged.

"Immediately after his injuries and we found out he was abused, I immediately thought it was the other caregiver. For three years, three and a half years, I never let that go. I kept going back, what if it was her," Riffle said.

Riffle said Joshua George dropped Oliver George off with their babysitter on the morning he was injured. During the trial, Joshua George's defense attorney broke down a timeline by experts to when Oliver George would have started showing symptoms and who was caring for him at that time.

"At 8:30, Oliver was dropped off, and between 10 and 10:10, [the caregiver] called my father seven times, a pediatrician as well," Riffle said. "In court, she testified that she did not call my father, but it was all presented with phone records. At 11 o'clock, it was testified that Oliver was in critical condition, and then 911 was not called until 11:52 a.m. My father testified that when he left for his therapy appointment around 9:15 that he was fine."

While Riffle hopes to see the case reopened, she said the Washington County District Attorney's Office told her family the case is closed.

"He basically said that the case was not going to be presented without new evidence," Riffle said.

KDKA-TV sat down with Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh to ask what's next.

"We don't charge people when the evidence doesn't lead to the right guy," Walsh said. "So, multiple agencies were involved in this investigation. Defense attorneys saying they have a timeline or evidence, that's what defense attorneys do. We don't charge or not charge based upon defense attorneys' opinions."

"Do you have no doubt in your mind that you guys had the right guy?" KDKA's Erika Stanish asked.

"We charge with where the evidence led to charge," Walsh said.

Walsh went on to say that "nothing has changed evidentiary wise" and he understands the family's frustrations.

"Law enforcement and this office was frustrated, but this is our system, the greatest American justice system in the world, and we abide by it," Walsh said. 

KDKA-TV reached out to the attorney representing Joshua George but did not hear back as of Thursday evening.