Riley Fox -- Found Deceased 6/6/04
4 posters
Page 1 of 1
Riley Fox -- Found Deceased 6/6/04
by Piper Tue Jun 15, 2010 1:57 pm
Incarcerated sex offender charged in Riley Fox murder
May 27, 2010
By FRANK MAIN and DAN ROZEK Staff Reporters
Riley Fox
A man already behind bars for sexually assaulting a relative has allegedly confessed to kidnapping, sexually assaulting and killing 3-year-old Riley Fox — but he told investigators he initially intended only to burglarize her family’s home in Will County, sources said Thursday.
Scott Eby, 38, was charged with first-degree murder and predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, bringing to a conclusion one of the area’s highest-profile unsolved killings, authorities said.
“Finally there can be justice for Riley,” her parents said in a statement.
In June 2004, Riley was drowned in a creek near far southwest suburban Wilmington and found naked hours later after a massive search. Her father, Kevin Fox, spent eight months in jail on charges of killing Riley after he gave a video confession that he later said was coerced by investigators.
DNA evidence from Riley’s sexual assault and from duct tape covering her mouth didn’t match Kevin Fox’s, and he was freed in 2005. He and his wife, Melissa, were awarded $8 million in a wrongful-arrest lawsuit filed in federal court against Will County officials. A federal appeals court said the evidence against Kevin Fox was weak and ripped Will County investigators for hastily narrowing their probe to him.
A tipster pointed the FBI to Eby, who was not originally a suspect, officials said. Eby, who has given a videotaped confession, was linked to Riley’s killing through DNA, said Fox family attorney Kathleen Zellner, who was briefed about the case by the FBI and Will County authorities. Eby did not have a connection to the Fox family, Zellner said.
Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow said evidence ties Eby to the murder, but would not confirm that a DNA match was made. He did, however, add: “We’re not going to be in the situation we were in before with the DNA.”
Kevin Fox was charged with murder by prior Will County State’s Attorney Jeff Tomczak. But after Glasgow defeated Tomczak in a 2004 election, Glasgow dropped the charges against Fox when tests showed his DNA was not a match.
Although Eby has been in prison since 2005, Glasgow said matching DNA samples wasn’t as simple as punching the evidence into a database and looking for a connection.
“You can’t just plug it in like ‘CSI’ and watch the flashing lights on the hologram,” he said. “That’s not how it works. It’s a five-hour drive with a Q-tip to get the swab [from Eby in prison] and take it to the local crime lab that’s got the sample and do a one-on-one comparison.”
Sources said Eby had tried to break into the home of a neighbor of the Foxes in Wilmington and that Riley’s abduction also began as a burglary of the unlocked Fox home. Eby was living with his mother less than a mile from the Fox home at the time of Riley’s death.
“We have no evidence to show he knew Kevin,” Glasgow said.
In July 2005, about a year after Riley’s slaying, Eby was sent to state prison for the sexual assault of a female relative who is now 27, court records show. Eby was not scheduled to be paroled in that case until 2017.
Eby — who has many tattoos with the words “poison,” “pride” and “mom” as well as a skull — has previously served prison time on three burglary convictions and a forgery conviction. He was on parole for a DuPage County burglary when Riley was killed, officials said.
Thursday’s charges vindicate Kevin Fox and prove he was “victimized” by Will County detectives, Zellner said. The Foxes released a statement Thursday thanking the FBI and Glasgow for the work that led to the “apprehension of the true killer.”
Last June, Glasgow had asked the FBI to help with the Will County investigation. At one point, about 30 FBI agents were involved, he said.
“Today, the FBI and my office feel comfortable in announcing Kevin Fox is innocent,” Glasgow said, adding that he believes the charges against Eby show “the system works.”
“When everybody does their jobs, innocent people will not be convicted,” Glasgow said.
The case has “torn at the very fabric of Will County since 2004,” he said. “It has torn at the hearts of everyone in law enforcement.”
http://www.suntimes.com/news/2324742,riley-fox-murder-charges-052710.article#
May 27, 2010
By FRANK MAIN and DAN ROZEK Staff Reporters
Riley Fox
A man already behind bars for sexually assaulting a relative has allegedly confessed to kidnapping, sexually assaulting and killing 3-year-old Riley Fox — but he told investigators he initially intended only to burglarize her family’s home in Will County, sources said Thursday.
Scott Eby, 38, was charged with first-degree murder and predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, bringing to a conclusion one of the area’s highest-profile unsolved killings, authorities said.
“Finally there can be justice for Riley,” her parents said in a statement.
In June 2004, Riley was drowned in a creek near far southwest suburban Wilmington and found naked hours later after a massive search. Her father, Kevin Fox, spent eight months in jail on charges of killing Riley after he gave a video confession that he later said was coerced by investigators.
DNA evidence from Riley’s sexual assault and from duct tape covering her mouth didn’t match Kevin Fox’s, and he was freed in 2005. He and his wife, Melissa, were awarded $8 million in a wrongful-arrest lawsuit filed in federal court against Will County officials. A federal appeals court said the evidence against Kevin Fox was weak and ripped Will County investigators for hastily narrowing their probe to him.
A tipster pointed the FBI to Eby, who was not originally a suspect, officials said. Eby, who has given a videotaped confession, was linked to Riley’s killing through DNA, said Fox family attorney Kathleen Zellner, who was briefed about the case by the FBI and Will County authorities. Eby did not have a connection to the Fox family, Zellner said.
Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow said evidence ties Eby to the murder, but would not confirm that a DNA match was made. He did, however, add: “We’re not going to be in the situation we were in before with the DNA.”
Kevin Fox was charged with murder by prior Will County State’s Attorney Jeff Tomczak. But after Glasgow defeated Tomczak in a 2004 election, Glasgow dropped the charges against Fox when tests showed his DNA was not a match.
Although Eby has been in prison since 2005, Glasgow said matching DNA samples wasn’t as simple as punching the evidence into a database and looking for a connection.
“You can’t just plug it in like ‘CSI’ and watch the flashing lights on the hologram,” he said. “That’s not how it works. It’s a five-hour drive with a Q-tip to get the swab [from Eby in prison] and take it to the local crime lab that’s got the sample and do a one-on-one comparison.”
Sources said Eby had tried to break into the home of a neighbor of the Foxes in Wilmington and that Riley’s abduction also began as a burglary of the unlocked Fox home. Eby was living with his mother less than a mile from the Fox home at the time of Riley’s death.
“We have no evidence to show he knew Kevin,” Glasgow said.
In July 2005, about a year after Riley’s slaying, Eby was sent to state prison for the sexual assault of a female relative who is now 27, court records show. Eby was not scheduled to be paroled in that case until 2017.
Eby — who has many tattoos with the words “poison,” “pride” and “mom” as well as a skull — has previously served prison time on three burglary convictions and a forgery conviction. He was on parole for a DuPage County burglary when Riley was killed, officials said.
Thursday’s charges vindicate Kevin Fox and prove he was “victimized” by Will County detectives, Zellner said. The Foxes released a statement Thursday thanking the FBI and Glasgow for the work that led to the “apprehension of the true killer.”
Last June, Glasgow had asked the FBI to help with the Will County investigation. At one point, about 30 FBI agents were involved, he said.
“Today, the FBI and my office feel comfortable in announcing Kevin Fox is innocent,” Glasgow said, adding that he believes the charges against Eby show “the system works.”
“When everybody does their jobs, innocent people will not be convicted,” Glasgow said.
The case has “torn at the very fabric of Will County since 2004,” he said. “It has torn at the hearts of everyone in law enforcement.”
http://www.suntimes.com/news/2324742,riley-fox-murder-charges-052710.article#
Last edited by Piper on Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:08 pm; edited 1 time in total
Piper- Posts : 10277
Join date : 2009-07-12
Mood :
Re: Riley Fox -- Found Deceased 6/6/04
by Piper Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:02 pm
Melissa and Kevin Fox pose with their children, son Tyler and daughter Riley, in an undated photo. Scott Eby (inset) reportedly told investigators he initially intended only to burglarize the Fox home.
Exclusive: Riley Fox's Parents Speak Out After Alleged Killer Found
Mom of Murdered 3-Year-Old Says Hearing Grisly Details of Slaying Is 'Torture'
June 11, 2010
For the parents of Riley Fox, the 3-year-old girl who was abducted and brutally murdered in the small town of Wilmington, Ill., in the summer of 2004, hunting for her killer has been a painful, six-year nightmare.
Mom of murdered three-year-old says hearing details of slaying is "torture."
"Just to hear those words, 'We caught your baby's killer,' it was pretty emotional," said father Kevin Fox in an exclusive interview to air on "20/20."
Riley was kidnapped from the living room of her own home in 2004 and sexually assaulted, bound, gagged with duct tape and drowned. Her body was found face down in a creek in the Forsythe Woods, a public park about two miles from the Fox residence.
As years passed, the Foxes almost lost hope of finding the real killer. When they learned last month that police had tracked down the man believed to be Riley's murderer, Kevin and Melissa Fox were filled with mixed emotions.
"I'm still in shock. I have no words to even explain how I feel. For almost six years you thought this was going to be like a celebration day and it feels quite the opposite," said Kevin Fox.
Scott Eby, a 38-year-old imprisoned sex offender, was charged on five counts of first-degree murder and one count of predatory sexual assault last month after DNA evidence allegedly linked him to Riley. He is expected to plead not guilty.
Putting Eby's face to the long-unsolved mystery brought the Foxes a sense of vindication, but they said it has also been terrorizing to know the grisly details of how their daughter was murdered.
"He stole something very important from the world," said mother Melissa Fox. "I needed to know what happened to her and what she went through, but now it's kind of like torture. Now, it's like I'm torturing myself with those details. It's not at all what I expected.
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/riley-fox-parents-speak-scott-eby-charged-murder/story?id=10878773
Piper- Posts : 10277
Join date : 2009-07-12
Mood :