Emma Walker's legacy gives a voice to victims of domestic violence | Opinion
My life changed forever on the morning of Nov. 21, 2016, when I found my beautiful daughter, Emma, had been murdered in her sleep. Those are words every mother prays she never has to say. Emma was bubbly, kind and a friend to all. She had a contagious zest for life that was especially apparent when doing what she loved — being on the sidelines cheering on the Central High School Bobcats in our hometown of Knoxville. It was no surprise when Emma caught the attention of a Central High School junior and wide receiver on the football team, Riley Gaul. My first impression of him was a positive one. He was a polite, very normal-seeming kid. How could I have known that I was not only meeting my daughter’s new boyfriend, I was also meeting her future murderer?
Her friends and I began to notice a pattern of controlling behavior. Riley decided he wanted to have control over who Emma hung out with, where she went and even what she wore. Following that cycle of strange behavior, his controlling tendencies translated in the way he spoke to her — calling her horrible, demeaning names and even saying, “You’re dead to me, I'll check the obituaries.” This behavior continued and escalated so intensely that we banned him from our home and took away Emma’s phone with hopes to end all communication between the two.
Like you see in most domestic violence cases, it’s a never-ending cycle of abuse, then apologies, then more abuse, then more apologies then promises that he’ll "always love you.” Riley was doing just that to Emma. We began to monitor Emma’s every move, trying to make sure she never came in contact with Riley ever again. On the morning of Nov. 21, 2016, I routinely went to wake up Emma for school. What I found is every mother’s worst nightmare. Emma was in her bed, murdered.
During Riley’s trial in 2018, he claimed he never intended to kill her, but to scare her. After five long hours of deliberation, he was found guilty of first-degree murder as well as stalking, theft and reckless endangerment. In Tennessee, a conviction of first-degree murder results in an automatic life sentence. Although justice was served for my daughter, Emma, my hope is that all young girls across the country and even the world will see the signs and run.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and now more than ever, we must show victims of domestic violence what they are enduring is not normal, there is a way out and they can be free from this. Since Emma’s passing, I have dedicated my life to helping victims of domestic violence escape their situations and receive the help they deserve. I am eternally grateful for Alex McCarty and Noah Walton, the two brave young men who aided in seeking justice for Emma. With their help, Riley Gaul was arrested for Emma’s murder.
By keeping Emma’s legacy alive, my prayer is that young women and men everywhere going through similar situations will know they have a voice and will use that voice to stand up to evil. Emma’s beautiful life with a bright future ahead was tragically cut short, but by bringing awareness to the signs of domestic violence, together, we can end this epidemic and save innocent lives. I pray every day that our world remembers we must be kind to one another.
Victims’ families endure trauma no one can truly comprehend. Unfortunately, time and time again they are forced to relive their tragedy when dealing with legal proceedings. Marsy’s Law seeks to give victims the voice they deserve. Until Marsy’s Law is passed in Tennessee, victims and their families are not required to be informed of legal proceedings regarding sentencing, transfer, release, etc. The law successfully made its way through the state House of Representatives last year, but work remains. I am so thankful for the work legislators have put into this important issue, and this year, I implore the Tennessee Senate to also support Marsy’s Law to ensure we are putting victims first.
Jill Walker is the mother of Emma Walker. She resides in Knoxville.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Emma Walker's legacy gives victims of domestic violence a voice
