A prominent media figure tragically met his demise by being entombed alive in a 6-foot container during a botched kidnapping incident.
Stephen Small, a well-known entrepreneur accustomed to luxury, was targeted by small-time drug dealer Danny Edwards for a ransom of $1 million. The initial plan was to detain Stephen in rural Chicago until the ransom was paid, but the scheme took a deadly turn.
At the time of his abduction at the age of 30, Stephen, the son of Burrell L. Small, inherited a substantial fortune from his father, who held key positions at Mid America Media Group. The company possessed multiple radio stations, television channels, and was the former publisher of The Daily Journal of Kankakee. Stephen’s family ties extended further, with his uncle also serving as a publisher at The Daily Journal.
Edwards, posing as a police officer in 1987, deceived Stephen and demanded the ransom from his wife, Nancy. Despite multiple ransom calls, the family could not decipher the instructions on where to deliver the money.
In a desperate move, Edwards buried Stephen in a small box in a forest in Illinois, equipped with basic necessities. Nancy Rish, coerced by Edwards through threats and violence, was made an unwilling accomplice in the crime.
Years later, due to changes in the law, Rish, who was a victim of intimate partner violence, was released from prison in 2022. Edwards, initially sentenced to death for Small’s murder, had his punishment commuted to a life term.
Rish’s defense team successfully petitioned for a reduced sentence, citing her coerced involvement in the crime. They emphasized the lasting impact of domestic violence on Rish’s life, portraying her as a victim of circumstances.
Following legal proceedings, Rish’s lengthy sentences for murder and kidnapping were concurrently reduced by 50 percent, with the approval of the Small family. Rish was released on parole in early 2022, marking the end of a long legal battle.
