A prominent media figure met a tragic end after being unlawfully buried alive in a 6-foot enclosure during a botched kidnapping incident.
Stephen Small, a well-known entrepreneur accustomed to a luxurious lifestyle, fell victim to a misguided scheme by petty drug dealer Danny Edwards, who sought a ransom of $1 million. The initial plan was to detain Stephen in rural Chicago until the ransom was paid, but the plan took a deadly turn.
Stephen, aged 30 at the time of abduction, was the inheritor of a substantial fortune as the son of Burrell L. Small, the head of Mid America Media Group. This media conglomerate owned multiple radio stations, TV channels, and published The Daily Journal of Kankakee. Stephen’s family ties extended further with his uncle Len Small also being associated with The Daily Journal.
Edwards, posing as a police officer, tricked Stephen on September 2, 1987, and then contacted Stephen’s wife, Nancy, to demand the ransom. Despite several calls from the kidnappers instructing where to drop off the money, the family could not comprehend the messages.
In a desperate move, Edwards buried Stephen in a tiny box in a wooded area in Kankakee, equipping it with necessary provisions to keep him alive. However, Edwards coerced Nancy Rish, his fearful accomplice, to assist in the heinous act.
Rish, then 26, suffered domestic abuse and threats from Edwards, compelling her to comply. Law enforcement eventually tracked down Rish and Edwards shortly after the tragic incident.
Following a legal amendment in 2022, Rish was released from prison after proving her victimization as a survivor of intimate partner violence. Edwards, initially sentenced to death for Small’s murder, had his punishment commuted to life imprisonment.
Rish expressed remorse for her involvement, maintaining her innocence in Stephen Small’s death while acknowledging her accountability and expressing deep condolences to the victim’s family. Her defense highlighted that she was coerced by Edwards under threats to her child’s safety.
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office, advocating for reduced sentences for domestic violence victims, contested Rish’s resentencing. Despite objections, Rish’s 1988 sentences for murder and kidnapping were concurrently reduced by 50% under a court order by Judge Brenda Claudio.
Released in February 2022, Rish will be on parole for three years. The Small family did not oppose the court’s decision, accepting the outcome of the ruling.