Riley Fox Update: "Major Mistakes" by Ill. Investigators in Child Murder Case, Says Report
JOLIET, Ill. (CBS/AP) A review of the Riley Fox murder investigation by a private consultant has determined "major mistakes" were made by investigators assigned to the 3-year-old's murder.
Andrews International was hired by the Will County Sheriff's Department to scrutinize why detectives wrongly pinned the killing on her father, Kevin Fox.
The Chicago Tribune reports Tuesday that in its 45-page review, Andrews determined the management of the investigation was almost nonexistent and police missed opportunities from the beginning that could have led to the killer.
The report also says investigators were too focused on Kevin Fox to correct their error.
"It is a tragedy that this simple narrative of the crime and the evidence to support it was lost in the 'noise' of the case," the report said according to the newspaper. "Investigators were too quick to dismiss the idea that the Riley Fox murder may have been a stranger crime and they were too focused on Kevin Fox to correct their error."
Kevin Fox spent eight months in jail before DNA evidence cleared him of his daughter's death.
Scott Eby pleaded guilty in November to sexual assault and murder to forestall a death sentence.
Kevin Fox and his wife were awarded $12.2 million in damages after they accused Will County investigators of fabricating evidence. A federal appeals court in April upheld Kevin Fox's claim that he was falsely arrested but reduced the award to $8.6 million.
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE RILEY FOX CASE ON CRIMESIDER
