INDIANAPOLIS — A man was sentenced to 66 years in prison for the 2017 death of a woman whose body was found in the White River.
The death of Jenny Boltinghouse, 30, was ruled a homicide by the coroner after an autopsy showed Boltinghouse had been shot in the head three times and once in the arm.
During the initial investigation in 2017, no significant leads were developed.
In July 2019, a woman told IMPD Riki Eaton told her on multiple occasions that he had shot and killed Boltinghouse.
In May 2021, police say they received a reporter from another jurisdiction in which an individual told officers that Eaton had killer Boltinghouse and put her body in the river.
Shortly after, multiple witnesses came forward and told police Eaton had killed Boltinghouse after he believed she would inform police of his previous involvement in other crimes and may have stolen some personal items from him.
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Police say Eaton also threatened to kill several other individuals who had knowledge of the crime if they ever came forward with the information.
On August 9, 2021, Eaton denied to police he knew anything about the murder of Boltinghouse and had not seen her for a couple of weeks prior to her death.
According to historical cell phone data, the phone number associated with Eaton hit off a cellphone tower near the White River on the date and time of the murder, police say.
Eaton was convicted after a three-day trial in April. He pled guilty to the Habitual Offender Sentence Enhancement on Friday.
“Today’s announcement was made possible by the diligent work of our prosecutors and law enforcement, who spent years seeking justice for Jenny,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said. “We are grateful to have secured such a significant sentence in the wake of an incredibly senseless crime.”
