Current:Home > ContactNorth Dakota woman to serve 25 years in prison for fatally poisoning boyfriend -Aspire Money Growth
North Dakota woman to serve 25 years in prison for fatally poisoning boyfriend
View
Date:2025-04-15 23:15:15
MINOT, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota woman will serve 25 years in prison for the poisoning death of her boyfriend, who authorities say believed he was about to come into a large inheritance and had planned to break up with her.
Ina Thea Kenoyer was charged with murder in October 2023 for the death of 51-year-old Steven Riley Jr. Riley was hospitalized and died Sept. 5, 2023, after falling ill and losing consciousness, according to court documents.
An autopsy found he died from ethylene glycol poisoning, according to a Minot police officer’s affidavit. Ethylene glycol is used in antifreeze.
Kenoyer pleaded guilty in May. State District Judge Richard Hagar on Wednesday accepted attorneys’ joint sentencing recommendation of 50 years in prison — for Kenoyer to serve 25 years, with 25 years suspended — along with 10 years of supervised probation and $3,455 in restitution paid to Riley’s family, The Minot Daily News reported.
She faced up to life in prison without parole on the charge.
Riley’s friends and family contacted Minot police with concerns that Kenoyer had poisoned him with antifreeze, according to the affidavit. His friends told investigators his health rapidly declined at the airport, where he went to meet a lawyer to complete the inheritance transaction, the officer wrote.
Authorities said Kenoyer claimed Riley had been drinking alcohol all day and suffered heat stroke in the days before his death. Kenoyer knew of the inheritance, which she thought was over $30 million and felt she was due a portion of as Riley’s common-law wife, according to the affidavit.
North Dakota does not recognize common-law marriages. Investigators doubted the inheritance existed, according to the newspaper.
veryGood! (8551)
Related
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Kremlin foe Alexei Navalny’s team confirms his death and says his mother is searching for his body
- Relive the 2004 People's Choice Awards: From Oprah Bringing Her Camcorder to Kaley Cuoco's Y2K Look
- Spring sports tryout tips: Be early, be prepared, be confident
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- New ban on stopping on Las Vegas Strip bridges targets people with disabilities, lawsuit alleges
- Army Reserve soldiers, close friends killed in drone attack, mourned at funerals in Georgia
- 4 men dead following drive-by shooting in Alabama, police say
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- 4 men dead following drive-by shooting in Alabama, police say
Ranking
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- MLS to lock out referees. Lionel Messi’s Miami could open season with replacement officials.
- Massive oil spill near Trinidad and Tobago blamed on barge being tugged
- Lefty Driesell, folksy, fiery coach who put Maryland on college basketball’s map, dies at 92
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- East Carolina's Parker Byrd becomes first Division I baseball player with prosthetic leg
- Boy who was staying at Chicago migrant shelter died of sepsis, autopsy says
- New York man claimed he owned the New Yorker Hotel, demanded rent from tenants: Court
Recommendation
Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
George Santos sues late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for tricking him into making videos to ridicule him
Maren Morris Is Already Marveling at Beyoncé’s Shift Back to Country Music
Biden’s rightward shift on immigration angers advocates. But it’s resonating with many Democrats
Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
The Murderous Mindf--k at the Heart of Lover, Stalker, Killer
Chinese electric carmakers are taking on Europeans on their own turf — and succeeding
Albuquerque Police Department opens internal investigation into embattled DWI unit