A convicted sex offender arrested in May after DNA evidence linked him to the death of little girl may be negotiating a plea deal with prosecutors.
The Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday that Scott Eby and his attorney had "high hopes" that the case could be resolved Wednesday with Eby pleading guilty to the 2004 rape and murder of 3-year-old Riley Fox. The terms of the deal were not reported.
Fox was sleeping in her Wilmington home when she vanished. Her body was later found in a nearby creek. Eby's name was found written on a pair of shoes found nearby.
Prosecutors initially focused their case on the girl's father, Kevin Fox. DNA evidence later excluded him, and Will County authorities later conceded they'd "dropped the ball" in their investigation.
