A North Dakota woman who allegedly poisoned her boyfriend for money was tricked into thinking he was going to inherit money, but the victim’s son says it was all a scam.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, police arrested Ina Thea Kenoyer, 47, and charged her with felony murder in the death of Steven Edward Riley Jr., 51, on September 5. Minot Police said Riley was initially brought to Trinity Health in Minot but was transferred to a Bismarck hospital, where he died.
Police records said that Riley Jr. became ill after plans to meet with a lawyer on September 3 to collect a $30 million inheritance.
According to the New York Post, Riley Jr.’s son, Ryan, said that his father was the victim to a supposed lawyer claiming a “distant relative” left him millions. However, when Riley Jr. showed up at the Minot Airport last month to collect his reported inheritance, no one met him there and he never got paid.
“He wasn’t suspicious before he went to the airport, but he was convinced he had inherited the money and was going to receive it when the supposed lawyer landed,” Ryan told The Post.
“He planned on getting acres of land, giving me and some of my brothers a chunk. Then opening his own auto shop. But the supposed lawyer never showed up. It was a scam. It was a stranger who managed to trick my dad into believing it was true, unfortunately.”
Ryan added that his father wasn’t happy in the relationship and planned to leave, but when Kenoyer learned about the so-called inheritance, she made plans to kill him.
“They weren’t too happy [and] my dad wanted to leave her for a while….She was extremely lazy and never did anything.”
Kenoyer didn’t call 911 until the next day following the poisoning, police said. First responders found Riley Jr. unresponsive in his Minot home that he shared with Kenoyer, identified as his girlfriend of 10 years.
According to The New York Times, Kenoyer told police that the victim had a heat stroke, but autopsy results determined he died from ethylene glycol, “the main ingredient in antifreeze.”
“Witness stated they wanted to obtain medical treatment for John Doe, but Ina Thea Kenoyer was adamant that John Doe was suffering from heat stroke and just needed to go home and rest after the airport,” an arrest affidavit read.
The affidavit indicated that family members and friends said the defendant mentioned poisoning Riley before and after his death. One of the defendant’s friends also said that Kenoyer was spotted getting rid of Riley Jr.’s belongings the day he became sick.
Kenoyer also allegedly said she was upset that Riley Jr. planned to leave her and take his inheritance money. Kenoyer mistakenly believed that being the victim’s “common law” wife entitled her to at least half of his inheritance, according to the affidavit. North Dakota, however, does not recognize common-law marriages.
While searching the pair’s home, investigators found a Windex window cleaner bottle filled with a green substance that they believe to be the antifreeze that killed Riley Jr. The affidavit revealed that investigators also found a mug and a Coors Light beer bottle in the garage that they believe Kenoyer put antifreeze in.
When confronted, Kenoyer reportedly told investigators that Riley Jr. may have been “smoking a cigarette that may have fallen into antifreeze in the garage.” She acknowledged, however, that she served him sweet teat throughout the day, which is known to disguise antifreeze.
Investigators said Kenoyer became upset when she learned that she was not entitled to the inheritance money.
Kenoyer remains behind bars at the Ward County Detention Center. Her preliminary hearing has been scheduled for December 7.
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[Feature Photo: Steve Riley and Ina Kenoyer/Facebook]
