Outrage Over 25-Year Sentence For Antifreeze Murder

Ina Thea Kenoyer, 48, confessed to murder, but received a sentence that knocked years off her imprisonment, and true crime followers are not at all impressed. The case that concluded in October reached social media and many angry folks vented about it. Read on to find out why.

North Dakota Murder

Ina hailed from Minot, North Dakota, and back in 2023, she decided to kill her boyfriend, Steven Edward Riley Jr., 51. Why did she take his life? Well, according to a report by the Daily Mail, she believed he had inherited millions of dollars. However, as usual, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t real. So, his son explained that it was all just a scam.

However, Ina Thea Kenoyer thought that he was wealthy, so she simply poisoned him. He died, but instead of becoming an multimillionaire, she now sits behind bars. Ironically, even if she hadn’t been arrested, she would never have inherited because North Dakota doesn’t recognize common-law marriages.

Changed Her Plea

Clearly, she wasn’t too clever about her murder, because her boyfriend died on September 5, 2023, and by October she was already in jail. Initially, she tried to plead innocence, but in May of this year, she changed her plea and admitted to the murder. Sentenced last month, she looked set to serve 50 years, or life in prison.

However, that didn’t happen. Instead, she got 25 years and the rest suspended. And, the restitution she needs to pay to the family of Steven Edward Riley Jr. amounts to only $3,455.

Anger From The Public

When the news about the sentence reached Instagram on Thursday this week, many folks felt furious about the leniency shown to Ina Thea Kenoyer. After all, a man died for nothing at all, except for her greed. One commenter on the post by @guysrejectgirls fumed, “What the hell! Death penalty where are you?”

Here are more angry responses in the discussion area:

• We’ve replaced your son with $3455. Justice.
• And a life wasted for nothing…
• D*mn only 25 years for first degree. Sh*t I’ve known brothers get more for a drug charge.
• 3,4k that’s all? They treated that man like he was nothing and then only gave her 25 years behind this senseless act?
• What’s even crazier he didn’t inherent anything no one showed up when she went to collect the money it was just a scam.

How did She Kill Him?

Initial reports showed that Ina took some antifreeze and served it to her boyfriend in very sweet tea. Of course, his death arrived the next day because it contains ethylene glycol. Easily found in blood tests, it can be very painful as the substance can destroy the kidneys, per Wiley Online Library. Sometimes, treatment can save a life, but often, poisoned people become dialysis-dependent.

What do you think about the sentence of 25 years and a pittance as restitution? Do you agree that such a senseless murder should have gotten her many more years behind bars? Sound off in the comments below, and come back here often for all our true crime news and updates.