It was the news that most people could only dream of. Steven Riley had opened an unexpected email from a lawyer and discovered he was in line for a huge $30 million inheritance from a distant relative that he’d never even met. It was impossible not to imagine how life changing the huge sum of money would be. Steven, 51, had five sons and wanted to share his good fortune with them.

Steven’s girlfriend Ina Thea Kenoyer, who lived with him in Minot, North Dakota, was also over the moon when she found out. They had been together for 10 years and Kenoyer was sure she’d benefit from the surprise windfall.

But it seemed the promise of millions of dollars gave Steven the opportunity to think differently about his life, and after receiving the news he confided in his friends that Kenoyer might not be part of his future. Steven told those close to him that he was thinking about leaving his girlfriend and just sharing the money with his sons.

The next step for Steven was to meet with the lawyer involved in the inheritance at a local airport on 3 September, 2023. He didn’t tell Kenoyer he wanted to end their relationship but somehow she found out. She decided that if Steven wasn’t going to share the money with her, she’d take it all. Kenoyer had been with Steven for 10 years and believed that would give her common law wife status so she would be entitled to the money when he died. She just needed that to happen.

Almost straightaway, Kenoyer started to spike Steven’s iced tea with antifreeze. The key ingredient, ethylene glycol, has a sweet taste so Steven would have consumed the deadly liquid without even realising. On the day Steven was due to meet the lawyer and receive the cheque, he headed to the airport with Kenoyer and some friends. He started to feel unwell and told them he had stomach pains. He was struggling to walk, as though he was drunk, and started vomiting.

The lawyer didn’t show up. Meanwhile, Steven’s friends became increasingly worried about him and suggested he needed urgent medical help. But Kenoyer insisted it was just heat stroke after drinking too much in the sun and said she’d look after him at home. Later that day, a friend called around to see Steven. Kenoyer said he had gone to a walk-in clinic, but that friend couldn’t find Steven or any record of him at any local clinic or the emergency room. The friend returned to Steven’s home and found him unconscious. They called 911 and paramedics rushed him to hospital but, despite being airlifted to a second hospital, he couldn’t be saved. He died on 5 September.

When Kenoyer talked to the police about the inheritance that was coming her way, she insisted that while she would keep her portion, she would go on to share the money with Steven’s sons. Officers told her North Dakota law doesn’t recognise common law marriages so she wouldn’t be entitled to any of the money. They noticed she suddenly became angry and upset.

Steven believed he was in line for a huge $30 million inheritance from a distant relative ( 
Image:
Steven Riley/Facebook)

Flagging up concerns

After Steven’s death, loved ones went to the police to say Kenoyer had made comments in the past about poisoning her boyfriend with antifreeze. While he’d been fighting for his life in hospital, they said Kenoyer had made comments that he had been poisoned with antifreeze. It gave investigators the opportunity to look out for poisoning. An autopsy confirmed Steven had died of ethylene glycol poisoning, the ingredient found in antifreeze.

There was no alcohol in his system, which confirmed he hadn’t been drinking as Kenoyer had claimed. Officers searched the couple’s home and found a Windex bottle that contained antifreeze and a beer bottle and plastic mug in the garage that had traces of antifreeze in. During questioning, Kenoyer denied killing Steven and suggested that maybe he had dropped a cigarette in the garage and had smoked it with antifreeze on it. She said an online search had informed her the symptoms of heat stroke can “mimic poisoning”.

Kenoyer was arrested on 30 October. Investigators said she had “financial motives” for killing Steven, but where was the $30 million? It turned out the email was an online scam. There was never any evidence of money. Steven had been murdered over an inheritance that didn’t exist. At first Kenoyer denied spiking Steven’s drink, but she eventually admitted she had been making her boyfriend iced tea with antifreeze in it. In May this year, she pleaded guilty to felony murder and five months later she faced sentencing.

Lives touched by loss

Steven’s sister, Stephanie Gonzalez, made a statement. She said that while Steven had been dying, Kenoyer had tried to sell his vehicle. “You stole a father from five sons, a brother from two sisters, an uncle from 12 nieces and nephews and a great uncle to eight and many friends,” she said. “How does it feel to have taken so much for absolutely nothing?”