A North Dakota woman has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatally poisoning her boyfriend, who authorities say believed he was on the cusp of inheriting a substantial sum of money and had intended to end their relationship. Ina Thea Kenoyer was charged with murder in October 2023 following the death of her boyfriend, 51-year-old Steven Riley Jr. Riley passed away on September 5, 2023, after falling seriously ill and losing consciousness, as per court documents which revealed an autopsy confirmed his cause of death as ethylene glycol poisoning, a toxic compound found in antifreeze.
Kenoyer entered a guilty plea in May, and State District Judge Richard Hagar recently approved the joint sentencing recommendation proposed by attorneys, ruling for Kenoyer to serve 25 years in prison out of a 50-year sentence, with the other 25 years suspended. Additionally, she is mandated to complete 10 years of supervised probation and pay $3,455 in restitution to Riley’s family, reported The Minot Daily News. The charge she faced carried a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Concerns were raised by Riley’s friends and family to Minot police, suspecting that Kenoyer had poisoned him with antifreeze. The affidavit indicated that Riley’s health deteriorated rapidly at the airport, where he was headed to meet a lawyer for the inheritance deal. Kenoyer maintained that Riley had been consuming alcohol excessively and suffered from heat stroke in the days before his demise. She was aware of the alleged inheritance amounting to over $30 million, believing she was entitled to a share as Riley’s common-law wife – a status not recognized in North Dakota – according to the affidavit.
Authorities cast doubt on the existence of the inheritance, as indicated by the newspaper report. The case serves as a tragic reminder of the fatal consequences and severe legal repercussions of poisoning incidents.