The Murder of Riley Fox
The three-year old’s case was bursting with bad judgement and poor police work.
Kevin Fox walked solemnly into the Will County Courthouse main court, wearing a red jumpsuit and ankle shackles. Just five months earlier his life had been perfect, but now he was facing a first-degree murder charge and the death penalty, for the murder of his little girl, Riley.
The disappearance
Kevin and his wife Melissa had met at school and soon after, the couple became pregnant with their first child, Tyler. After their wedding, Riley came along and by 2001, their family unit was complete.
On the 6th of June 2004, Melissa was at an overnight charity walk in Chicago and Kevin was at a concert with his friend and Melissa’s brother. Tyler and Riley were spending the evening with their grandmother, and Kevin picked them up around 1 am after the gig.
Exhausted after a long day, Kevin didn’t have the energy to sort out the children’s beds and instead left the two sleeping children in the front room on the sofas. He then went upstairs, but the night was hot and it was difficult to sleep, so instead Kevin ate and watched television for a while. He eventually retired to bed around 2.30 am.
