North Dakota Woman Sentenced for Boyfriend's Murder

Ina Thea Kenoyer, a 48-year-old woman from North Dakota, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for poisoning her boyfriend, Steven Riley Jr., with antifreeze in hopes of acquiring a nonexistent $30 million inheritance. Following a guilty plea for intentional murder, Kenoyer was also given a 25-year suspended sentence and 10 years of probation after her release. Riley fell ill and died on September 5, 2023, with an autopsy confirming ethylene glycol poisoning as the cause of death. Kenoyer believed she was entitled to the inheritance as Riley's common-law wife, despite North Dakota not recognizing such relationships. Investigators expressed doubt over the existence of the inheritance, which Kenoyer allegedly used as a motive for the murder. In addition to her prison sentence, Kenoyer must pay $3,455 in restitution to Riley's family.