Scott Eby, who admitted to the sexual assault and murder of a 3-year-old girl named Riley Fox in 2004, has died in a state prison. Eby, aged 52, was an inmate at the Menard Correctional Center. Records indicate he passed away on Thursday, though details surrounding his death remain undisclosed.
The case of Riley Fox attracted national attention because her father, Kevin Fox, was wrongfully accused initially. He spent eight months incarcerated before DNA evidence cleared him. Earlier this year, Kevin Fox died in a car accident in Arkansas.
The circumstances of Eby’s death have not been shared by authorities. The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office confirmed his passing but refrained from providing further information. Attempts to obtain comments from the Illinois Department of Corrections were unreturned.
In 2010, while already a convicted sex offender, Eby confessed to kidnapping Riley from her Wilmington home, assaulting her, and drowning her in a stream. Wilmington is located approximately 60 miles from Chicago. Evidence such as DNA collected from the scene and a pair of shoes with Eby’s name on them was instrumental in solving the case.
Kathleen Zellner, who was Kevin Fox’s former attorney, stated in a release, “Though it’s ironic that Kevin Fox and Scott Eby both died in 2023, Eby’s death represents a measure of justice for Riley. Kevin’s passing is a terrible tragedy for his family. He was a kind and gentle man who loved his children above all else.”
The parents of Riley Fox received more than $8 million in damages after accusing Will County investigators of planting evidence against their family.