A Father's Confession: The Abduction and Murder of Riley Fox

WILDCIDE

GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains graphic content on child abduction and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.

On Sunday June 6, 2004, Kevin Fox was awoken by his 6-year-old son Tyler saying 'Riley is gone.' Kevin immediately began searching the house, the neighborhood and checking with neighbors, but 3-year-old Riley Fox was nowhere to be found. Within hours, the small community of Wilmington, Illinois kicked into full gear to begin the massive search to try and find Riley. Fast forward 8 months, Kevin Fox is in jail being charged with a crime that he confessed to, but a confession that he quickly claimed to be false. How is it possible that a loving father of two not only confesses to a horrific crime but also maintains his innocence? This story is tragic, heart-wrenching and infuriating from the outside looking in and it'll leave you wondering: How can an investigation get so much wrong? You’re going to want to take a breather after this one.

**Make sure to tune in on Friday 4/24 to listen to the interview with Dr. Fabiana Alceste and Lauren Motz as we discuss the wild world of False Confessions.**

Resources:

Amber Alert Info: Frequently Asked Questions | AMBER Alert (ojp.gov)

Search Sex Offenders in your Area: Home | Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (nsopw.gov)

Information about False Confessions: False Confessions - Innocence Project

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​​Art for the podcast was created by Kelly Steen. Editing/Production for the podcast by Bltzwolff.

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References:

Cassimy, E. (2023, March 22). Kevin Fox, exonerated in the 2004 murder of his daughter, dies in Arkansas head-on Crash. NBC Chicago. https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/kevin-fox-exonerated-in-the-2004-murder-of-his-daughter-dies-in-arkansas-head-on-crash/3100762/

Harrington, A., Kozlov, D., Cramer, M., Hartman, K., & Miller, S. (2023, December 9). Scott Eby, who admitted to rape and murder of 3-year-old Riley Fox, dies in prison. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/scott-eby-admitted-rape-and-murder-riley-fox-dies-prison/

Ward, T. (2023, December 9). Scott Eby, man who confessed to murder of 3-year-old Riley Fox, dies in prison. ABC7 Chicago. https://abc7chicago.com/scott-eby-riley-fox-murder-killer/14156521/

Smith, B. (2006, July 3). The Nightmare: A look at the riley fox case. Chicago Magazine. https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/july-2006/the-nightmare/

Smith, J., & Diaz, J. (2021, May 7). Mom opens up about botched police investigation into daughter’s murder. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/mom-opens-botched-police-investigation-daughters-murder/story?id=77538319

Smith, J., Diaz, J., Rivas, A., & Yang, A. (2021, May 5). How FBI’s hunt for Riley Fox’s killer revealed major mistakes by local detectives. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/fbis-hunt-riley-foxs-killer-revealed-major-mistakes/story?id=77505898