Kevin Paul Riley Sr., a 60-year-old Native American man, passed away on Friday, September 21, 2018, in Fargo, North Dakota. He was an enrolled member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe. Born on March 25, 1958, in Moorhead, Minnesota, he grew up in Edgeley, North Dakota. After completing a plumbing degree in 1978 from a college in Wahpeton, he moved his family to Fargo in the early 1980s. He established a long career as a plumber in the Fargo-Moorhead area for the next 38 years.
Known as a proud father and grandfather, he enjoyed spending weekends at the lakes and camping with his family. He was also an avid reader with a love for science fiction.
The circumstances of his death were initially reported as a suicide. His son, Christopher Riley, called 911 to report that his father had taken his own life at his apartment. However, upon investigation, authorities found evidence of a physical altercation that occurred before the shooting. This discovery led to the classification of Kevin Riley Sr.'s death as a homicide.
Following an autopsy that confirmed he was the victim of a homicide, an arrest warrant was issued for his son, Christopher Riley, on a felony murder charge. After a week-long search, the 34-year-old was arrested without incident in a city park in Fargo. Christopher Riley faces a potential sentence of life in prison without parole.
