A convicted sex offender, Scott Eby, has died in an Illinois state prison. Eby, 52, was serving his sentence at Menard Correctional Center. His death was confirmed through an online inmate notification system on Thursday.

In 2004, Eby admitted to the sexual assault and murder of 3-year-old Riley Fox. Her body was found in a creek near her home, a case that gained national attention after her father was wrongfully accused. Kevin Fox, Riley’s father, spent eight months in prison before DNA evidence cleared him. Kevin Fox died earlier this year in a car accident in Arkansas.

Officials have not disclosed details about Eby’s death. The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office confirmed his death to news outlets but did not provide further information. A spokesperson from the Illinois Department of Corrections did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday.

In 2010, Eby, who was already a convicted sex offender, confessed to abducting Riley from her Wilmington home. He then sexually assaulted and drowned her in a creek. Wilmington is approximately 60 miles from Chicago. Authorities apprehended Eby through DNA evidence from the crime scene, along with clues such as a pair of shoes bearing his name found in the water.

Riley’s parents were awarded over $8 million in damages after accusing Will County investigators of planting evidence. In a statement on Sunday, Kathleen Zellner, former attorney for Kevin Fox, reflected on Eby’s death as ‘a measure of justice for Riley.’ She remarked on the irony of both Kevin Fox and Scott Eby passing away in 2023. ‘Kevin’s death was a terrible tragedy for him and his family,’ she stated. ‘He was a kind and gentle man who loved his children above all.’