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

[Jeana (DP)]

Also, keep in mind that settlement offers and/or demands will not be exchanged until the discovery process is pretty close to being completed. Each side must know what they'd be dealing with in court before they know what their case is worth.

 

[genecam]

Also, keep in mind that settlement offers and/or demands will not be exchanged until the discovery process is pretty close to being completed. Each side must know what they'd be dealing with in court before they know what their case is worth.

The discovery process in this case reminds me of an episode of the "The Practice", an ABC lawyer show that morphed into "Boston Legal", starring David Spader playing a rather wacky, unconventional lawyer named Alan Shore, who was always at the edge, but was a winner most of the time.

In one episode, Alan Shore was the lawyer for the wife in a divorce case. The rich husband and his lawyer thought they had a slam dunk case for the husband to get almost everything in the divorce settlement, leaving the wife almost nothing. However, the husband had been having an affair with his secretary and Alan Shore had a private investigator film the husband and the mistress in bed in a hotel room. When the husband and his lawyer walked into Shore's conference room, he had the video of the "in flagrante delicto" running on two wide-screen tv's.

If I were Zellner, I'd invite Gerald Haberkorn, Will County's lawyer, and his clients into my conference room for a meeting, and I would have, running on 2 or 3 wide-screen tv's in the conference room, the video of Mary Jane Pluth interrogating the then five-year-old Tyler Fox where Tyler goes into a fetal position, pulls his sweatshirt over his head, and screams that he wants his mommy and daddy.

I bet the first words out of Haberkorn's mouth would be "How much?"

 

[Olivia77]

I think about this case from time to time.

Will there EVER be justice for Riley?

 

[lisag]

When I saw Riley's thread get bumped I had hoped that it was an update....

I can't stand the idea that whoever did this to her is still waking around free..

 

[KOOL LOOK]

Since they didn't at first test the two dna samples, have they done so by now? Surely they have. If so, wonder what and if the known murderer is on codis?

What ever happened to Riley'sFamily, the member that was posting on here for a while, I see she's on our locked member list.

This case is hard to follow in that we need a quick, easy summary as to what really happened and went down.

We know she was abducted from her couch,discovered the next day, thrown from a birdge, bound, under garments missing, adn Kevin was arrested.

Family stuck by him. Things finally began to turn right after he got an attorney. This is a classic case and reason why you need an attorney from get jump street. It's horrible what happened to this family twice.

I wonder if they have any person of interest? Surely they must. What ever happened to the rogue investigators and sheriff? They should be prosecuted. What a horrible job they did, and it wasn't a few mere mistakes, they intentionally misled this investigation. Shame on them.

I see where the Foxes were suing civilly, has a settlement been reached yet?

What does our sleuthers think happened to Riley now that we have alot of the facts, court documents etc... available. I haven't read them, but I know alot of you have stayed informed. Anyone have a good guess as to what really happened that night?

Thanks,
Sheila

 

[crash676]

I live in this small town. Riley is the reason I joined and found Websleuths. To my knowledge there has been no progress or should I say published progress. I pray every day that they will solve this crime. I can literally look out my parents front door and see Riley's smiling face everyday. There is a garden dedicated in her honor that has the most beautiful trubute to her with her picture on it and it is 200 feet away from my parents front door. The scary thing is this person is still out there and IMO it is someone local to our area. (Not saying I have any clue who or even a suspect in mind) but where Riley was found is not a very well publicized place for an outsider. It is outside of town and unless you lived there you really would not know it was there. I grew up with Kevin and Melissa and know both of them periphally. I have not talked to them since we were young children and could not begin to guess there family situation. What bother me the most is that last year at this time there were reward poster everywhere. Now when you see them they are tattered and worn and still the same ones from last year. The ones that have been taken down because of wear and tear have not been replaced and that bothers me.

 

[Crimson Sky]

Riley's family is doing well. there was a article in the paper on june 6th of this year and they were also on the news, i'll try and find a link. the civil suit is not settled.

 

[Crimson Sky]

http://www.nbc5.com/news/13456910/detail.html



CHICAGO -- Authorities said Wednesday they have a new lead in the killing of a Wilmington toddler who was abducted from her home, sexually assaulted and dumped in a river.

 

[genecam]

http://www.nbc5.com/news/13456910/detail.html



CHICAGO -- Authorities said Wednesday they have a new lead in the killing of a Wilmington toddler who was abducted from her home, sexually assaulted and dumped in a river.

Of course the lead came from Zellner's investigators, that the Foxes are paying for. As usual, nothing from Sheriff Cowp-a$$'s crew. They're just sitting on their dumb a$$es doing nothing about finding Riley's killer. Only CYA to minimize the damage to them from the civil suit. And of course it doesn't bother them that the real killer is still out there somewhere, because they are still telling people - three years later - that Kevin did it. What's even sadder is that some people still believe them.

And Cowp-a$$ was re-elected Sheriff. How could 85,000 people be so stupid?

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Of course the lead came from Zellner's investigators, that the Foxes are paying for. As usual, nothing from Sheriff Cowp-a$$'s crew. They're just sitting on their dumb a$$es doing nothing about finding Riley's killer. Only CYA to minimize the damage to them from the civil suit. And of course it doesn't bother them that the real killer is still out there somewhere, because they are still telling people - three years later - that Kevin did it. What's even sadder is that some people still believe them.

And Cowp-a$$ was re-elected Sheriff. How could 85,000 people be so stupid?

If Zellner took this case on contingency, the Foxes are not paying anything unless and until there is a favorable settlement.

 

[genecam]

If Zellner took this case on contingency, the Foxes are not paying anything unless and until there is a favorable settlement.

You may be correct. However, it could also be that only Zellner's fee is on contingency and the investigators are paid for the work they do - either by Zellner or the Foxes.

In any event, my primary point was, as is clear from the article, the lead came from the private investigators working for Zellner, and not from Will County LE.

The Sheriff and the State's Attorney always claim that this case is very much alive and that their "fresh new" team of investigators is diligently working on this case. Yet, from day one, old team or new team, they haven't come up with anything except excuses. Cowp-a$$ is a classic at it. Everything negative that comes up about his office is always someone else's fault. Whether it was Kevin's arrest or the people suing him who were getting beaten up and raped in his jail, or the Operation Sleepover hotel credit card fraud fiasco where all of the charges were dropped after all of the evidence and informants were proven to be totally unreliable. It's either baseless - based on his word alone - or someone else's fault. It's I didn't know what my detectives were doing, or I don't get enough money from the County Commissioners to staff my office or train my people. Or the informant was in someone else's jail and they compromised the evidence.

He is supposed to be this big, tough, decorated Marine Viet Nam Veteran. He made a big deal out of that in both of his campaigns. Well, it's time for him to start acting like one and quit making excuses and blaming everyone else for his incompetence and mismanagement. Whatever happened to "the buck stops here?"

 

[genecam]

Just noticed this:

John Ruettiger, 38, one of the original six detectives that interrogated Kevin Fox and coerced the false confession, died of pancreatic cancer on July 14, 2007.

http://www.legacy.com/STNG-HeraldNews/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=90864103

 

[lisag]

I certainly hope we dont plan on slandering a deceased police officer...

While I believe that Kevin is innocent (I believed he was guilty in the begining) I still dont believe that the police coerced and bullied this confession out of him.. Yes, I believe they interrogated him and yes, I beleive they thought he was guilty.... but I don't think there was ill intent invovled... I will not believe for one minute, that the police wanted a killer on the loose and an innocent man in jail. Unfortunately, the public only sees one side and makes assumptions based on what they think they know.

My sympathies for his wife and children... He was much to young... May he rest in peace.

 

[crash676]

Thank you Lisa I was just getting ready to post this. Officer Ruettiger was one of the most compassionate, sweetest and just damn dedicated officers I have ever met in my life. He will be missed dearly by all and no one will have a bad thing to say about him. He truly was good man I know this personally.

 

[genecam]

I certainly hope we dont plan on slandering a deceased police officer....

I was merely pointing out that he died and that it was almost 4 weeks ago. We really should just leave it at that. Anyone is perfectly free to make what they want out of it and keep their thoughts to themselves.

 

[crash676]

I was merely pointing out that he died and that it was almost 4 weeks ago. We really should just leave it at that. Anyone is perfectly free to make what they want out of it and keep their thoughts to themselves.

So sorry next time I do something foolish like posting on a board based mostly on people's opinions and thoughts I will make sure to keep my thoughts to myself. Sorry for foolishly think that was the purpose of this board.. OOPS! I'll think next time..

 

[lisag]

I was merely pointing out that he died and that it was almost 4 weeks ago. We really should just leave it at that. Anyone is perfectly free to make what they want out of it and keep their thoughts to themselves.

Let's just say that I know you didn't post it out of concern or compassion for him or his family....

 

[genecam]

So sorry next time I do something foolish like posting on a board based mostly on people's opinions and thoughts I will make sure to keep my thoughts to myself. Sorry for foolishly think that was the purpose of this board.. OOPS! I'll think next time..

I wasn't trying to stifle you from saying anything. I am a strong believer in the first amendment and freedom of speech.

I was speaking about myself - trying to say in a reasonably polite way - that one should not automatically assume the worst motivation in someone without any supporting evidence.

I did not say anything slanderous about Officer Ruettiger. Yet you and Lisa immediately made all sorts of (wrong) assumptions.

That's the wonderful thing about blogging. I am going to continue keeping my thoughts to myself. You and Lisa are perfectly free to assume what you want and post about it. However, I believe one of the rules about posting on this board has something to do with no character assassination of another poster. Please be mindful of that. I must admit I haven't always been in the past, but I have been lately and will continue to do so.

 

[lisag]

I was speaking about myself - trying to say in a reasonably polite way - that one should not automatically assume the worst motivation in someone without any supporting evidence.

Couldn't the "supporting evidence" be your clear and well known dislike (hmm - maybe hatred would be a better word) for the entire Will County justice system?

 

[genecam]

Couldn't the "supporting evidence" be your clear and well known dislike (hmm - maybe hatred would be a better word) for the entire Will County justice system?

Hate is a pretty strong word to throw around. I don't hate them. I just find them despicable. A shining example of what's wrong with the criminal justice system in this country.

It's not a Will County problem. It's not an Illinois problem. It's a national problem.

Go to the Innocence Project and Center on Wrongful Convictions web sites. You might really find the extent of the problem eye-opening.