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Ina Kenoyer, a 48-year-old woman from Minot, North Dakota, was convicted in 2024 of murdering her boyfriend, 51-year-old Steven Edward Riley Jr. The incident occurred in September 2023, when Riley was poisoned with ethylene glycol, a toxic substance found in antifreeze. Kenoyer believed she stood to inherit $30 million from Riley after receiving an email claiming he would receive the fortune. Acting on this misinformation, she gave Riley a drink laced with antifreeze.
Kenoyer pleaded guilty to murder on May 26, 2024, in Ward County District Court. On October 16, 2024, she was sentenced to 50 years in prison, with 25 years suspended and 10 years of supervised probation. She was also ordered to pay $3,455 in restitution to Steven Riley Jr.’s family. At the time of her sentencing in October 2024, Kenoyer was held at the Ward County Jail. As of now, no official public records confirm where she is currently incarcerated.
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Kenoyer’s case will be featured in season 35 episode 14 of Snapped, airing on Oxygen on July 13, 2025. The episode will examine the circumstances surrounding Steven Riley Jr.’s death and the investigation that led to Kenoyer’s conviction.
What happened to Ina Kenoyer?
In September 2023, Ina Kenoyer, a resident of Minot, North Dakota, was convicted of killing her boyfriend, Steven Edward Riley Jr. Kenoyer poisoned Riley with ethylene glycol, a toxic substance found in antifreeze, because she believed Riley would receive $30 million based on an email scam.
As Riley's longtime girlfriend, she believed the authorities would acknowledge her as his common-law wife. However, North Dakota doesn't identify common-law marriages as legal. Riley, who was 51 years old, died soon after taking the lethal dose that Kenoyer had mixed into sweet tea.
At first, she claimed Riley died of alcohol poisoning, but tests showed his body contained ethylene glycol. Ina Kenoyer pleaded guilty to murder on May 26, 2024, in Ward County District Court, and she is now serving her sentence.
Investigation of Steven Riley's murder case
On the day of the incident, Riley was found unconscious at the Minot residence he shared with Ina Kenoyer. Kenoyer initially told authorities that Riley had consumed excessive alcohol and was exhibiting heat stroke symptoms, suggesting alcohol poisoning as the cause of death. However, a toxicology report from the North Dakota State Forensic Examiner's Office confirmed the presence of ethylene glycol in his system, as per the Minot Daily News.
Detectives later discovered an uncapped Windex bottle containing antifreeze liquid. According to Oxygen, she had mixed the antifreeze into sweet tea, which she then gave to Riley. A search of their home uncovered traces of the substance, and further investigation revealed her motive was linked to a scam email falsely claiming Riley had come into a $30 million inheritance, as per the Minot Daily News.
Investigators from the Minot Police Department and the Ward County State’s Attorney’s Office collected witness statements and communication records indicating that Ina Kenoyer believed she would receive a $30 million inheritance following Steven Riley Jr.’s death, as per KFYR.
Friends also reported that Kenoyer had previously spoken about antifreeze before Riley's poisoning, which raised suspicions, as per WWNYTV. Investigators found containers in the home that tested positive for ethylene glycol, as per WILX.
Sentencing and conviction of Ina Kenoyar
On October 16, 2024, following her guilty plea on May 26, 2024, Ina Kenoyer was sentenced in Ward County District Court to 50 years for the murder of Steven Edward Riley Jr., with credit for time served since her arrest on October 30, 2023. The sentence included 25 years in prison, 25 years suspended, and 10 years of supervised probation, as per InForum. Ina Kenoyer remains incarcerated, but the location is not publicly disclosed as of now.
Stay tuned for more news and updates on Snapped.
