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

[JustJax]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1628929,fBI-joins-Riley-Fox-case_JO061809.article


(snipped)





WILMINGTON — Five years after her body was found in Forked Creek, the investigation in the murder of 3-year-old Riley Fox has been turned over to the FBI.
On Wednesday afternoon, federal agents canvased the neighborhood where Riley lived with her parents, Kevin and Melissa, and older brother Tyler, until she was drowned on June 6, 2004.

javascript:dc_popup_win('http://www...llbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,height=650')
Three-year-old Riley Fox was found murdered in 2004.




"During Wednesday's sweep, the agents talked to neighbors and other potential witnesses in an effort to obtain new information and to revisit prior leads and evidence that might lead to the arrest of Riley's killer," Will County State's Attorney spokesman Charles B. Pelkie said.
Pelkie said State's Attorney James Glasgow first talked to the FBI about assisting in the case in early 2008 and the agency has been reviewing investigative files for about a year.

 

[JustJax]

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1609519,Riley-Fox-murder-5-years-JO060609.article

(snipped)

WILMINGTON — The plaque of an engraved angel with the words "May you find comfort in the arms of an angel" is the only remnant left on the bridge over Forked Creek on Kahler Road. The bridge is believed to be the spot where the body of Riley Fox, 3, was tossed into the water below.
It has been five long years since the toddler was reported missing around 8 a.m. Sunday, June 6, 2004. Her body was found in the creek, and plaques, dolls and flowers soon lined both sides of the bridge.

 

[jaycee]

FBI leads stepped up investigation into 2004 murder of Riley Fox

June 19, 2009


More than five years after 3-year-old Riley Fox was taken from her home, sexually assaulted and left dead in a nearby creek, FBI agents this week fanned out across the girl's semirural Wilmington neighborhood to interview potential witnesses.

The FBI's involvement in the case is not new, but it has been stepped up. That has brought a renewed spotlight to an unsolved case that drew national attention because of the gruesome nature of the crime and detectives' initial accusations against the girl's father, which were later dropped.

A few months after Fox's body was found in 2004, Will County sheriff's detectives accused the father, Kevin, of the crime. But in December 2007, Kevin and his wife Melissa won a record $15.5 million wrongful-arrest suit against the detectives, contending they had coerced a false confession from Fox. The case is under appeal.

Kevin Fox spent eight months in Will County Jail, but was released by Will County State's Atty. James Glasgow based on DNA evidence. Glasgow had inherited the case.

A recent exchange of letters between the Foxes and the state's attorney's office show emotions are still raw concerning the investigation. Melissa and Kevin Fox on May 28 sent a letter to Glasgow, expressing "shock and disbelief" that Pete Piazza, the state's attorney's lead investigator on the case, allegedly told them "no work had been done on Riley's investigation for 2 1/2 years."

In response to the Foxes' letter, Glasgow's chief deputy sent a letter to the Foxes insisting that they had mischaracterized what Piazza said. He insisted that Piazza told the family that investigative manpower was stretched thin by several major cases and there have been no recent "findings" in the case.

"However," he wrote, "at no point did [Piazza] make the statements you have attributed to him in your letter."

The letter said that the probe into Riley's murder was "one of this office's top priorities." It also noted the FBI was expanding its work on the case.

In an interview Thursday, Melissa Fox said she was "more than happy" that the FBI's involvement had been increased "if they are really going to take another look at it." But, she added, "The state's attorney was upset with the letter we sent so I hope this wasn't just done for publicity."

Glasgow's spokesman, Charles Pelkie, said the FBI canvass was "absolutely not" a response to the Foxes' letter.

FBI spokesman Ross Rice said: The agencies "wanted to do it in one day, so they mustered the resources."

Melissa Fox, meanwhile, said her husband's arrest made it "hard to trust" Will County authorities. "I hope this leads to something, not just for my daughter, but because whoever did this is dangerous and he's still out there," she said.

Gwen Smith, 70, who has lived for 49 years in a house opposite the home from which Riley was taken in June 2004, said two federal agents interviewed her again Wednesday about the day the little girl went missing.

"I told them the whole story again," Smith said Thursday. "They come round and ask the same questions every year, but I don't mind if it helps catch the killer. . . . Riley was a beautiful little girl."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-riley-fox-19jun19,0,7544749.story

 

[nursebeeme]

this is GREAT NEWS!

 

[jaycee]

Here is the story of Riley.

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Story?id=6196896&page=1

http://www.justiceforriley.com/memorial.html

 

[Kat]

A picture of Riley:

 

[Knox]

Beautiful little girl, just breaks my heart. And if losing Riley was not enough, that poor Father. Hopefully the PI's the parents hired can make some real progress!!!!

 

[tfrohning]

this story remind me of Haleigh take from her home and Neaveah who end up on the river. In fact when I read the story, Neveah pop in my midn , I guess because of creek.

 

[MagicRose99]

Here are Riley Fox's threads that are already on WS:

Archived Forum Read only..

[ame="http://websleuths.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=52"]http://websleuths.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=52[/ame]

Thread One:
[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33245"]http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33245[/ame]

Thread Two:
[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66266"]Riley Fox #2 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]

 

[Reannan]

Riley's case has always haunted me, and I am THRILLED to hear that the investigation is getting a fresh look and renewed energy. Her killer needs to be caught. I am also proud of the Riley's for continuing to put pressure on the authorities about what happened. I sure hope some new information turns up.

 

[Bobbisangel]

I am just thrilled with this news. I have never forgotten Riley and have wondered through the years if her killer will ever be caught. I just hope and pray that the FBI get some good leads and can take this killer off of the streets.

I felt so bad when Kevin was accused of killing Riley. Those detectives are men like we hear of on other cases but find it hard to believe they can be so crooked. They used that old ...if you were going to do this how would you do it. That was after they kept Kevin in that room for hours and hours with no sleep, etc. It was a day to rejoice when they had to let him go. I hope those detectives were fired but I doubt that happened. If Kevin hadn't gotten the attorney he did he would probably be in prison today.

I know that Kevin and Melissa had a baby later on. I wonder what they had and how their older boy is fairing. This couple has been through hell and back and they deserve to know who came into that house and took their beautiful little girl. The person who did it deserves to be locked up the rest of his worthless life. Just to think he murdered this sweet little girl and is still walking the streets makes me so angry.

 

[nursebeeme]

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6196896&page=1

for those new to this case... here is the story as well as a six or seven part abc video segment on the case including a link to the reenactment of the interrogation of Riley's Father.

 

[daisy7]

Killing of 3-year-old a mystery five years later

NEW YORK (CNN) -- One summer night in 2004, 3-year-old Riley Fox lay asleep on a couch not far from her 6-year-old brother on a chair in the living room. Their father was sleeping in a nearby bedroom.

Just before 8 a.m., Kevin Fox was awakened by his son. The boy told his father that Riley was missing from the sofa.

Fox searched for his daughter for 40 minutes inside and outside their Wilmington, Illinois, home and then called police, according to authorities. His wife, Melissa, was in Chicago participating in a charity walk, and when she found out, she rushed home.

Nearly 500 volunteers, along with police and family, searched for the little girl.

Her body was found later that day in a river in Forked Creek, Illinois, just 4 miles from the family's home. She'd been bound and gagged with duct tape, raped and drowned, according to the Will County Sheriff's Office and the coroner's report.

It was June 6, 2004, the start of a horrific ordeal for the family.

Fox was arrested and charged with the killing, only to be exonerated by DNA evidence.

(snipped)

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/15/grace.coldcase.riley/index.html

More than five years later, authorities have yet to capture Riley's killer.

 

[believe09]

There has to be a suspect or list of suspects-this is not an average crime...the person was at least in the house just prior to the crime if not repeatedly, was comfortable with the layout and the routine of the family, and then killed the child in an unbearably cruel way....thank God for a DNA profile being obtained from the saliva on the body, because the perp knew enough to prevent a deposit of other bio evidence.

So you have to say to yourself-given how well planned this was, what other crimes has this person committed? There is no way this was a first, right? I mean really.

So I was looking for unsolved cases in Illinois that match the victims age-but I do not know if that is the answer. Perhaps this perp floats around-but the answer has to be in how the crime was planned...

 

[Anubis]

I have to agree believe09; there is no way this is a first time offender (perhaps for this crime but it seems extreme for a first time offender). Does anyone know if the DNA has been entered into CODIS? Anyone know if they established a time of death? What other evidence is in the home? (are their fingerprints on the laundry baskets? door knobs?) The only thing I feel certain of is I think this child knew her rapist and killer. Otherwise, why kill her? The pain and horror this poor baby went through tears into my very soul. People wanna know why I believe in the death penalty, here's your answer.

 

[madeleine]

I am so glad they're back working on this case.

RIP sweetie :rose:

 

[weasel]

I am so glad they're back working on this case.

RIP sweetie :rose:

Amen. I watched a program on E Channel about her last night and I can honestly say it's the first time I actually cried about a case. Don't get me wrong, my heart goes out to each and every case I hear about that involves a child; or any innocent victim for that matter. But there was just something about that sweet little baby that absolutely broke my heart. I cannot begin to fathom what sort of filthy evil could have hurt that child. I hope and pray that whatever did this to her is captured before it hurts someone else.

 

[SJP]

They are showing a program on Discovery Channel right now about this
case. I followed that and felt so sorry for the Dad and family. Now of course the case is cold and they will probably never find the offender.

 

[trigger]

They are showing a program on Discovery Channel right now about this
case. I followed that and felt so sorry for the Dad and family. Now of course the case is cold and they will probably never find the offender.

They are showing Rileys unsolved murder today on E channel at 9pm tonight. So sad.

 

[kbl8201]

looking back thru the years on this thread, i see this is just another of those "police rush to judgement, police persecute family member, real killer still out there due to police incompetence/corruption" case.
i seriously thought the alleged "confession' was a joke...........i mean come on. 'i accidentally killed her with the door, then raped her". does that make even a bit of sense?
put anyone, guilty or innocent, under intterogation from ruthless cops for 14 hours, and they will probably admit they were the gunman on the grassy knoll.