In one episode of ’20/20′ on ABC News, the horrible murder of 3-year-old Riley Fox is shown.
On June 6, 2004, Riley was drowned and left in a creek. She had been held down and had her mouth taped shut before she was raped.
People in Wilmington, Illinois, were shocked and confused because they couldn’t think of anyone who would want to hurt a child in this way.
Still, when Scott Eby was caught and linked to the crime, people saw the monster that was hiding behind the man.
We can tell you more about Scott Eby and where he is now if you want to know.
Who Is Scott Eby?
Scott Eby was a known sex offender who had been charged with crimes for a long time.
He was a repeat offender who had been to prison more than once for things like burglary, sexual assault, and other felonies.
When Riley was killed, he lived with his mother about a mile from where Riley lived.
Still, Scott wasn’t a suspect when the Wilmington police first looked into Riley’s death.
Kevin, Riley’s dad, was the only person the police could think of who might have done it.
They were sure they had found their man. From 2004 to 2009, Scott moved around freely and no one thought he was a threat.
But when the FBI started to look into the case, they asked everyone the same questions all over again.
They also decided to look all over Wilmington for anything that might help them find the killer.
During one of these searches, the FBI met a woman who said she used to be Scott Eby’s girlfriend.
When asked about the murder, she said that Scott didn’t seem to care when she told him about the death of Riley.
In order to follow up on the lead, they decided to go see Scott.
When the FBI went to see Scott in prison, he was there for a different sexual assault charge.
At first, he denied having anything to do with Riley’s murder, but right after that, he told his mother in a recorded prison call that he might go to prison for the rest of his life.
A few days later, Scott’s prison contacted the FBI and told them that Scott had tried to kill himself and written a letter with the subject line “A Confession to Murder.”
The FBI then took Scott’s DNA and found that it was a perfect match for the DNA found at the crime scene.
When Scott was questioned a second time, he told the police that he had broken into the Foxes’ living room to get away from a burglary he was doing in the house next door.
There, he saw Riley and took her away, then attacked her sexually in a public bathroom.
Scott also said that he tied the child up and put a gag on her before drowning her.
The FBI charged Scott Eby with killing Riley Fox based on a detailed confession and strong DNA evidence.
Where Is Scott Eby Now?
After he was caught, Scott was charged with murder in the first degree and sexual assault with intent to harm.
When he was brought to court, he admitted to the charges and agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison without the chance of parole.
Riley’s mother, Melissa, gave a powerful victim impact statement at his hearing. She said, “I came to face you so you would know how important it was for me to stand up for Riley.
That night, she had no way to defend herself, which makes you a coward and a monster.” Scott Eby is in jail at the Pontiac Correctional Center in Pontiac, Illinois, at the moment.
