Girl, 15, Texted 'I'm Scared' When Mom's Boyfriend Entered Her Room Before He Allegedly Killed Her
It would be the last text message she’d ever send, and it was received the night of May 7 by her boyfriend: “I’m scared, babe.”
Twelve minutes earlier, West Virginia teen Riley Crossman sent a text, indicating her mother’s 41-year-old boyfriend had entered her room.
A week later, authorities would recover the 15-year-old’s body from a steep cliff near the top of a mountain.
The text messages were presented by prosecutors as evidence at a preliminary hearing against the mom’s boyfriend, Andy McCauley, who is charged with Riley’s murder.
Riley was reported missing May 8, and when her body was discovered on May 16, it was in an advanced state of decomposition.
This week, prosecutors revealed it could be months before the cause and manner of Riley’s death is officially known, if it’s ever determined at all, reports the Hagerstown Herald-Mail.
RELATED: Missing W. Va. Girl, 15, Is Found Dead as Mom’s Boyfriend Is Charged: ‘She Was a Sweetheart’
In court, investigators alleged that physical evidence — including drywall mud and sheet-metal screws found both in McCauley’s work truck and the site where Riley’s body had been dumped — links him to the murder, according to the paper.
Officials have said cadaver dogs led investigators into the bed of McCauley’s truck and signaled that a dead body had recently been there, reports WDVM-TV.
RELATED: Dogs Smelled Human Decomposition In Truck of Stepdad Accused of Murdering 15-Year-Old
According to The Journal, additional testimony revealed alleged inconsistencies between what appears on surveillance footage obtained by police and what McCauley told investigators.
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Prosecutors also presented evidence that allegedly indicates McCauley called Riley’s cellphone three times on May 7 between 3 and 4 a.m., the day before she went missing. The Herald-Mail reports he allegedly dialed *67 to block his number each time.
Officials have yet to disclose a specific motive for the killing.
McCauley remains in police custody without bail, and has yet to plea to the charges. His attorney could not be reached for comment on the allegations.
