Scott Eby, aged 52, who had confessed to the sexual assault and murder of a 3-year-old girl, Riley Fox, in 2004, has died in a state prison. Eby, an inmate at Menard Correctional Center, passed away on Thursday, according to online inmate notification systems.
Riley Fox’s murder initially made national headlines when her father, Kevin Fox, was wrongfully accused. Kevin spent eight months in jail before DNA evidence exonerated him. Tragically, Kevin died earlier this year in a car accident in Arkansas.
Details surrounding Eby’s death remain undisclosed. Will County’s State Attorney’s Office confirmed Eby’s death to news organizations but provided no further comment. Attempts to reach the Illinois Department of Corrections for further information have gone unanswered.
In 2010, Eby, a previously convicted sex offender, admitted to kidnapping Riley from her home in Wilmington, assaulting her, and drowning her in a creek. Wilmington is situated about 97 kilometers from Chicago. DNA and other evidence, including shoes belonging to Eby found with his name on them, led authorities to him.
Kathleen Zellner, former attorney for Kevin Fox, described Eby’s death as “a measure of justice for Riley.”
“It’s ironic that both Kevin Fox and Scott Eby died in 2023. Kevin’s death was a terrible tragedy for him and his family,” Zellner said. “He was a kind and gentle man who cherished his children.”
Riley’s parents were awarded over $8 million in damages after accusing Will County investigators of planting evidence.
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