A North Dakota woman, Ina Thea Kenoyer, 48, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for poisoning her boyfriend, Steven Riley Jr., 51, after mistakenly believing he had inherited $30 million and planned to break up with her. Riley died last year from ethylene glycol poisoning, a toxic substance commonly found in antifreeze, the New York Post reported. 

During the court hearing in Minot, Stephanie Gonzalez, Riley’s sister, confronted Kenoyer, telling her she was fortunate to receive such a lenient sentence, as reported by KXMB. “As so many other families of victims often feel, the punishment should fit the crime,” Gonzalez said to Kenoyer. “But lucky for you, the Department of Corrections doesn’t serve antifreeze in your iced tea.”

State District Judge Richard Hagar sentenced Kenoyer to 25 years in prison last Wednesday after she pleaded guilty in May. In addition to her prison term, Kenoyer received 10 years of supervised probation and was ordered to pay $3,455 in restitution to Riley’s family, according to court records.

However, it appears there was never any inheritance at all. Officials revealed that Kenoyer poisoned Riley just hours after discovering an email he had received, claiming he would inherit $30 million. 

Ryan Riley, the victim’s 21-year-old son, later told The Post that both his father and Kenoyer had fallen victim to an online scam, and no such inheritance actually existed.

On September 3, 2023, while meeting with the supposed estate lawyer, Riley began to feel unwell. Paramedics were called to his home the next day, where they found him unresponsive. He was pronounced dead on September 5.

Kenoyer initially told police that Riley had been drinking heavily and suffered from heat stroke in the days leading up to his death, according to the affidavit. She also claimed that she planned to split Riley’s alleged inheritance with his son, asserting that she was entitled to a share as his common-law wife. However, North Dakota does not recognize common-law marriages.

A US woman fatally poisoned her boyfriend thinking he inherited $30 million, however, she later found out that it was all a scam. According to People, the woman, identified as Ina Thea Kenoyer, was arrested in October last year and charged with class AA felony murder, which is the most severe murder charge in North Dakota. During the investigation, cops found a bottle of Windex filled with what investigators believed was antifreeze in the couple’s living room. On Wednesday, she pleaded guilty to murdering her longtime boyfriend. She now faces up to life in prison without parole, the outlet reported. 

The cops had previously determined that Ms Kenoyer had financial motives to murder her 51-year-old boyfriend Steven Edward Riley Jr. However, investigators now say they believe the inheritance was a hoax. 

According to People, in the arrest affidavit, authorities said that Mr Riley planned to leave his girlfriend of about a decade. But in September, as he headed toward the airport with friends to meet with a lawyer about what he believed to be his newly acquired wealth, he complained of stomach pain. His friends said he seemed drunk, although later blood tests revealed no alcohol in his system.

Back then, Ms Kenoyer, who claimed she had medical training, said he had a heat stroke and would recover with rest at home. At his house, investigators found a beer bottle and a plastic mug with green liquid matching the Windex bottle. 

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After speaking to Mr Riley’s friends, authorities learnt that Ms Kenoyer had previously discussed poisoning her boyfriend with antifreeze. The coroner then tested for its key ingredient and found toxic levels of ethylene glycol in his system. But Ms Kenoyer maintained that her boyfriend had been day drinking and had gotten heat stroke. She also suggested several explanations for the poison-like symptoms. 

Ms Kenoyer proclaimed herself Ms Riley’s common-law wife and said she planned to split his newfound inheritance with his son. However, in arresting documents obtained by the outlet, she became visibly upset after investigators told her the state would not recognise her as his common-law wife. She later admitted that she had in fact spiked his sweet tea with antifreeze before his meeting with the lawyer. 

Ms Kenoyer is now scheduled to be sentenced on August 14. She may undergo another psychological evaluation ahead of her sentencing.