A man thought he would inherit a fortune, so he left his partner. Then he died
10:04 AM EDT, November 2, 2023
A 51-year-old man broke off a decade-long relationship when he mistakenly believed he was going to inherit 30 million dollars. The jilted lover, in an alleged revenge plot, is accused of poisoning him. The supposed fortune was later revealed to be fictitious.
47-year-old Ina Thea Kenoyer from Minot, North Dakota, is charged with the murder of her partner, 51-year-old Steven Edward Riley. Riley passed away in the hospital, with an autopsy confirming death by ethylene glycol poisoning, a key ingredient in coolant. The police believe the murder was financially motivated.
A victim of Internet scam?
Investigations revealed that Riley had received an email from a person claiming to be a lawyer, informing him of a 30-million-dollar inheritance from an unknown deceased relative. Riley was convinced by this and was planning on buying land for his brothers, in addition to opening his own car workshop, as reported by the "New York Post". Convinced of impending wealth, he decided to break up with his longtime partner.
He went to the airport on September, hoping to meet the supposed lawyer and secure his inheritance. However, the lawyer was a no-show, marking it as Internet fraud, explains the victim's 21-year-old son in an interview with the "New York Post". Captain Dale Plessas of the Minot Police Department admits a lack of evidence supporting the existence of the claimed inheritance.
Riley fell ill on the same day he was meant to meet the alleged lawyer. Even though his partner delayed calling an ambulance till the next day, claiming that Riley had suffered a heat stroke. He eventually died in the hospital on September 5th. Following the autopsy, investigators found a Windex cleaner bottle, believed to contain coolant, a beer bottle, and a plastic cup in the couple's apartment.
The woman charged with poisoning her partner has denied the accusations. Kenoyer, who considers herself as Riley's common-law wife, proclaimed that she planned to share the supposed inheritance with his son.
