N.D. woman pleads guilty to fatally poisoning boyfriend with antifreeze to collect large inheritance

MINOT, N.D. (TCD) -- A 47-year-old woman pleaded guilty last week to poisoning her boyfriend with antifreeze because he was planning on breaking up with her after he inherited $30 million.

Ward County court records show Ina Kenoyer entered the plea for one count of intentional murder with extreme indifference on Wednesday, May 29, for the death of Steven Edward Riley Jr.

Minot Police arrested Kenoyer on Oct. 30, almost two months after Riley died. Riley was first brought to a local hospital in Minot, then transferred to the hospital in Bismarck, where he passed away on Sept. 5. The autopsy showed he had been fatally poisoned, and police said they believed Kenoyer "had financial motives to murder Riley."

According to court records cited by KXNET-TV, Riley and Kenoyer had been in a relationship for about 10 years, and Riley found out that he was going to inherit $30 million. Upon receiving the money, Riley was going to break up with Kenoyer.

On Sept. 3, Riley, Kenoyer, and some of his friends went to the Minot Airport to meet with a supposed attorney to close the deal. However, Riley started feeling sick and could barely walk. He thought it was heatstroke and wanted to go home. Riley’s friends became concerned about his health, but Kenoyer said her boyfriend was just dealing with the heatstroke.

One day later, Sept. 4, a friend went to Riley and Kenoyer’s home and asked to see him. Kenoyer told the friend Riley was at a medical clinic, but the friend contacted hospitals in the nearby area and could not find any record of him.

Riley was found unconscious that afternoon and taken to a local hospital. He died the next day.

KXNET reports Kenoyer spoke with others about poisoning Riley with antifreeze, which prompted the coroner to run tests for the ingredients in it. The results came back positive.

Detectives searched Riley’s home and found green liquid believed to be antifreeze in different bottles. Kenoyer told detectives she put the poison in Riley’s tea on Sept. 3.

Kenoyer reportedly said she deserved part of the inheritance money because she was his common-law wife, and she would give the rest to Riley’s son. KXNET reports North Dakota does not recognize common-law marriages.

Kenoyer will be sentenced in August.

According to KXNET, officials believe the inheritance was an online scam.