New Charges In 2004 Riley Fox Murder (UPDATED)

By Marcus Gilmer in News on May 27, 2010 6:40PM

Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow and the FBI are preparing to announce new charges in the 2004 murder of three-year old Riley Fox. Riley was taken from her Wilmington home after which she was raped and killed by drowning, her body found in a nearby creek. Prosecutors had originally charged Riley's father, Kevin Fox, with her murder as well as sexual assault before DNA evidence vindicated him in 2005 after spending over eight months in jail. Fox and his wife were eventually awarded $8 million in damages.

While a suspect has not yet been announced - it will be announced at a 2:30 p.m. press conference this afternoon - a source has told the Sun-Times the suspect is already in a state prison. Kathleen Zellner, an attorney who helped Kevin Fox, said, “We know it was someone with absolutely no connection to the family." She also had harsh words for Will County authorities, saying, “I think that it completely vindicates him and proves what we were saying all along that he is innocent and was victimized by the Will County detectives... The FBI - not Will County - solved this case."

Update: The Tribune reports the suspect is Scott Wayne Eby who is already serving a 14-year sentence for a 2005 sexual assault conviction.