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    Officials: Father raped, killed girl

*/Thursday, October 28, 2004/*

* *

*By Dan Rozek and Lisa Donovan**/
Special to the Daily Southtown/*
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Her mouth and arms bound with duct tape, 3-year-old Riley Fox was
sexually assaulted, then dumped alive into a secluded creek and left to
drown, Will County authorities said Wednesday.

Her attacker was her 27-year-old father, Kevin Fox, who was arrested
earlier in the day after allegedly giving a videotaped statement
implicating himself, officials said during a news conference. He is
expected to be formally charged today with assaulting and murdering his
youngest child.

Fox initially told police he awoke June 6 to find the girl missing from
the family's Wilmington home. She was found 71/2 hours later in Forked
Creek, a small stream that runs through the Forsythe Woods Forest
Preserve about four miles from the home.

The girl's disappearance galvanized the community as hundreds of
volunteers turned out to search for her. But the slaying also polarized
the quiet Kankakee River town, as rumors swirled that Fox was
responsible for her death, splitting residents into those who supported
Fox and those who believed he was guilty.

"We know how difficult it's been for the people in this quiet community
who knew Riley Fox,'' Will County Sheriff Paul Kaupas said. "My hope is
with the arrest of Kevin Fox, the town of Wilmington will be able to
have closure.''

The abrupt announcement of Fox's arrest was as much a surprise to the
community ? even to those who have long suspected him ? as the news she
had been sexually assaulted, a detail that drew gasps from members of
the public who attended the news conference at Wilmington City Hall.

An autopsy showed the girl had been sexually assaulted and also suffered
"nonlethal head injuries," said Will County Coroner Patrick O'Neil. Duct
tape was found over her mouth, O'Neil said, and residue on her arms
indicated they had been bound by tape, he said. She was dumped into the
creek and drowned, O'Neil said.

Police would say little about their evidence against Fox, even stopping
short of calling his statement a confession. Though officials had said
earlier that items had been sent to an FBI lab for analysis, Kaupas and
Will County State's Attorney Jeff Tomczak wouldn't comment on whether
DNA or other forensic evidence links Fox to his daughter's death.

Authorities did say they are sticking to the suspect's timeline for the
night: Kevin Fox told investigators he left Riley and her 7-year-old
brother, Tyler, with their grandparents on June 5 while he attended a
concert with a brother-in-law.

Fox told police he picked the kids up about 12:30 a.m., took them home
and left them asleep on a living room couch. He said he awoke about 8
a.m., he found the living room door ajar and Riley missing. After
searching briefly for the girl, Fox called police. The girl's mother,
Melissa, was out of town that night, authorities said.

Melissa Fox spent much of Tuesday night at the Will County sheriff's
office where her husband was questioned. She couldn't be reached for
comment Wednesday, but authorities said no one else is expected to be
charged.

Kevin Fox was being held Wednesday night in the Will County Jail. His
attorney, Kathleen Zellner, declined to comment. His family also refused
to comment on his arrest.

"We're not talking to the media. We'd appreciate it if you'd respect our
privacy,'' a family member said outside the home of Fox's parents, where
Kevin and Melissa Fox had been living after moving out of the rented
house where Riley vanished.

But a neighbor who has known Kevin all his life can't believe the young
father killed his daughter.

"I can't believe it's Kevin, not with the love he had for that little
girl,'' said Ron May, who has lived next door to Fox's parents for more
than 30 years. "He was a loving father, totally. I'd see him playing
more in the yard than I ever played with my kids.''

Authorities would say little about why Fox was brought in for
questioning Tuesday evening.

"There was no major break in the case,'' Kaupas said.

But during a 12-hour interrogation, Fox made statements that led to the
arrest, Kaupas said.

"We really tried to stay the course; we didn't want it to turn into
another JonBenet Ramsey case,'' Kaupas said, referring to the
still-unsolved murder of a Colorado girl.

Both Kaupas and Tomczak brushed aside suggestions that the timing of the
arrest was tied to next week's elections. Tomczak is in a tough
re-election battle, but Kaupas said the decision to question Fox and
seek charges wasn't motivated by politics.

"I have no dog in this race you're speaking of,'' Kaupas said. "To wait
would not do justice to this case or Riley Fox.''

/Chicago Sun-Times/