GUILTY IL - Riley Fox, 3, Wilmington, 6 June 2004

[fran]

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/riley.fox.murder.2.1754373.html

Jun 16, 2010 10:32 pm US/Central

Evidence Overlooked For Years In Riley Fox Murder

An amazing new development indicates police missed a crucial early link to suspect Scott Wayne Eby in the 2004 murder of 3-year-old Riley Fox.

The Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday morning that within an hour of finding Riley's body in a creek in far south suburban Wilmington, investigators found shoes in the water with Eby's name written inside.

Another clue that could have led detectives to Riley's killer: a cut window screen dismisssed as torn during a storm

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<complete article at link>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[Cubby]

From the above link Fran posted.

Looking closely at the sneakers, you can see the last name "Eby" written in them. <snip>

"What the inmates do is they write their name on the inside of the tongue of each shoe, so when Will County looked at these shoes and looked at the tongue, they should have thought, boy, these are probably prison shoes," Zellner said.

Talk about missed clues! Unbelievable.

 

[mitzi]

Will County ineptitude strikes again!

 

[reen]

From the above link Fran posted.

Looking closely at the sneakers, you can see the last name "Eby" written in them. <snip>

"What the inmates do is they write their name on the inside of the tongue of each shoe, so when Will County looked at these shoes and looked at the tongue, they should have thought, boy, these are probably prison shoes," Zellner said.

Talk about missed clues! Unbelievable.

Exactly! There aren't many other reasons for an adult to have their name in their shoes, durrrr. They could have at LEAST tried to get DNA from those at the time. Wow.

 

[laini]

Where else has Scott Eby lived? If he kidnapped and killed a 3 year old RIGHT OUT OF HER HOME then I'm thinking maybe he has committed other crimes. Does anybody know where else he has lived and what years?

 

[Bennettras]

Once again, the myopia of law enforcement (and I am very pro LE), rears it's ugly head. Instead of forming a myopic opinion at the get go, collect evidence in case someone else, other than the one in your sights, is guilty of the crime. My Lord how many times do we have to hear these stories because the stats show it is USUALLY a family member. Stats are not 100%. That is why they are stats!!!!! Ugh. I am sick to my stomach. LE closed their periphery on the obvious here....the burglary next door. Ugh...I'm not saying anything you sleuthers do not already know. I am just so darned frustrated. This poor family.


:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

 

[JBean]

I was reading an old post from a Fox family member and i was wondering how much this info was helpful or connected?

>>
Where Riley was located in the creek was never secured. Her tiny hands were never bagged for evidence. The people that found Riley, and the others who were in the vicinity were never questioned, but evacuated. Witnesses who did locate her body say that they were in the area nearly all day and did not see her body until shortly before it was found--if this is the case, then Kevin was with police since 8 am. Also, two police dogs sniffed Riley's clothes and immediately went to two houses on their block--which Riley had NEVER been to before. Riley's garage and back door's did not lock and were broken.

The biggest issue for me is that in Sept. a young 8-year-old was abducted from her LaPorte IN home, the intruder cut the screen and took her out, and duct taped her mouth. He took her undergarments off, and had his off and then a neighbors dog barked and he dropped the girl and she ran to her Mother with her mouth still duct taped. A house next to RIley's had their screen cut the same night Riley was abducted. Riley Had no pants on when she was found. The experts from the prosecutions case (which are much more educated and their opinions are far more "conclusive" than any state expert) say she was never assaulted that night, but that the debris caused the damage to her genitals<<

 

[Texas Mist]

Sex offender to plead guilty in Riley Fox murder

Updated at 10:13 PM today

November 9, 2010 (JOLIET, Ill.) (WLS) -- Convicted sex offender Scott Eby will plead guilty to the 2004 murder of 3-year-old Riley Fox on Wednesday.

ABC7 sources said Eby, who pleaded not guilty in June 2010, will change his plea. The 38-year-old has been behind bars since 2005 in connection to the sexual of a 14-year old. Read Eby's inmate profile on IDOC website.


more here

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7774216&rss=rss-twi-wls-article-7774216

 

[Cubby]

http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-riley-fox-guilty-plea-nov9,0,5348915.story

another shorter article.

 

[Texas Mist]

In a plea deal that ensures he will die in prison, convicted sex offender Scott Eby admitted raping and drowning 3-year-old Riley Fox following a 2004 break-in at the girl’s Wilmington home.

Immediately after Eby’s guilty plea Wednesday, a Will County judge sentenced the 39-year-old former Wilmington man to spend the rest of his life behind bars for the notorious crime that at one point saw Riley’s father charged with her death.

http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/2321610-418/eby-death-fox-riley-2004.html

 

[RoseWhite]

I hope Eby does rot in prison for a very long time.

Rest in peace, little Riley. Your smile and innocent spirit will never be forgotten.

 

[Cubby]

Official Report Blasts Riley Fox Murder Investigation

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/01/24/official-report-hit-riley-fox-murder-investigation/

audio also at above link.

 

[Rayemonde]

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/riley-fox-parents-speak-scott-eby-charged-murder/story?id=10878773

In 2004 Riley was abducted from her own living room, where her father had put her to sleep on the couch as he was too tired to put her to bed. She was later found bound and gagged, face down in a creek a few miles from her home. She had been sexually assaulted.

LE immediately suspected her father, and pressured him into confessing to her murder. He was convicted and sent to prison, until his lawyer found out that there was DNA evidence that LE had never bothered to test. She got the state to test it, and it didn't match Riley's father. His conviction was overturned after he had spent 8 months in prison and he was later awarded millions of dollars in compensation.

There is a forum for Riley her on WS but it is archived and hasn't been updated since Riley's father's conviction was overturned in 2005. It was years later when the actual culprit was found - a burglar called Scott Ebby who had broken in and opportunistically snatched the sleeping child. His shoes were found near her body, and actually had his surname written in them - another clue that LE had overlooked. In 2010 he was sentenced to life in prison for Riley's murder.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Riley_Fox

In June of 2004, the body of 3-year-old Riley Fox was pulled from a creek near her home in Will County. As police attempted to build a case against Riley&#8217;s father, evidence that could have helped them find the real killer was right under their noses.

Scott Eby, a jailed sex offender who allegedly confessed to Riley&#8217;s murder last month, left a pair of mud-covered shoes at Forked Creek, where he allegedly raped and killed Fox, NBC Chicago reports.

From NBC&#8217;s coverage:

Police collected the shoes and put them into evidence but never followed up. They focused their case instead on the girl&#8217;s father, Kevin Fox who confessed to her murder. Charges were later dropped thanks to DNA evidence that excluded him.

&#8220;Sheriff&#8217;s office did miss the clue, but so did the FBI and the state&#8217;s attorney&#8217;s office,&#8221; a spokesman for the Will County Sheriff&#8217;s department said.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/614239

Riley's WS forum:

http://websleuths.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=52