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Steven Rios, a Columbia, Missouri, police officer and married father-of-one, was convicted in the 2004 killing of 23-year-old Jesse Valencia, a University of Missouri student.
Valencia was found with a deep cut to his neck on June 5 and test results showed that he was likely murdered by Rios in the early morning hours of that day. The two were reportedly involved in a s*xual relationship.
Disclaimer: This article contains descriptions of murder and violence. Discretion is advised.
Rios was initially convicted of first-degree murder and armed criminal action, receiving life, plus an additional ten years in prison.
However, he was granted a retrial afterwards, which happened in 2008. At the retrial, he was convicted of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, receiving life with an additional 23 years with parole.
According to reports, Steven Rios is currently serving time at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County.
An all-new Dateline episode on NBC revisits Jesse Valencia's murder case from nearly two decades ago this Friday, February 24, 2023. The synopsis for the episode, titled Before Daylight, states:
"When college student Jesse Valencia is found murdered in a residential neighborhood, investigators are stunned to learn that one of their own might be involved."
Steven Rios, convicted of second-degree murder in Jesse Valencia's case, is currently serving time until eligible for parole
Steven Rios, a former Columbian police officer, was found guilty of murder by a jury of 24 people, while his ex-wife and former in-laws took his side, maintaining his innocence in the matter.
Rios was first convicted in 2005 for killing 23-year-old MU student Jesse Valencia near his East Campus residence in Columbia on June 5, and once again during a retrial in 2008. His apparent physical relationship with Valencia, who was gay, was allegedly the driving force behind the murder. Rios feared losing his family and work if anybody found out about the affair, according to the prosecution.
In court, he confessed to the affair but denied his involvement in the murder. Regardless of his claims, the father-of-one received a life sentence for the second-degree murder of 23-year-old Valencia. Reports state that he is currently serving time at the South Dakota State Prison in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and will likely be eligible for parole in 2035.
Steven Rios' ex-wife and in-laws maintained his innocence, claiming that the evidence was circumstantial
Steven Rios' ex-wife Libby reportedly discussed the murder, the trials, and life afterwards, claiming that his actions upended her entire life and forced her to endure suffering. However, she claimed that the evidence failed to prove his involvement. She also mentioned that his behavior was not unusual and that she never noticed any bruises, scrapes, or blood on him after the murder.
Libby Sullivan reportedly said,
"I told myself, until I see something that is proof, until I see something that shows me that he did this I've got to be supportive."
According to the prosecution, hair and other DNA evidence found on Jesse Valencia's body proved that Rios was the murderer. Prosecuting attorney Morley Swingle reportedly stated:
"His DNA was on the sheets. His DNA is on three places. It's on the hairs on the victim's chest, it's under the victim's finger nails, it's on the victim's sheets. That's killer's DNA in three different places. That's not a defense. It's more evidence of his guilt."
However, Steven Rios' defense argued that the DNA was proof of s*x and not murder.
Libby Sullivan's parents, John and Suzanne, also stated that the lack of solid evidence failed to prove Rios' guilt. The couple said that although they didn't believe Rios was innocent from the start, circumstantial evidence presented in court proved them otherwise.
Backing the defense's claims, John and Suzanne Sullivan reportedly said,
"It's not a matter of trying to defend him because he was our son-in-law. It's because we truly believe he is innocent and it's wrong for someone who's innocent to be in jail for the rest of their lives. It's just wrong. And that means there is someone out there who did commit the murder."
Dateline airs on Friday, February 24, 2023, on NBC.
