Who Killed Riley Crossman? Evidence, Verdict, and Appeal

Andy J. McCauley Jr., the live-in boyfriend of Riley Crossman’s mother, killed the 15-year-old at her Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, home on the night of May 7, 2019. A Morgan County jury convicted him of first-degree murder on October 5, 2021, and he is serving life without the possibility of parole. If you have searched for who killed Riley Crossman, the short answer is McCauley; the longer answer is a circumstantial case built on Riley’s own final text messages, cadaver dog alerts on McCauley’s work truck, and construction debris that tied the truck to the spot where her body was dumped.

The Night Riley Disappeared

Riley was a freshman at Berkeley Springs High School. Her grandmother saw her alive at the family home around 7 p.m. on May 7, 2019.¹ She never made it to school the next morning. Her mother, Chantel Oakley, tried calling and got voicemail every time. Oakley reported her missing on May 8.²

For eight days no one knew where she was.

Where Her Body Was Found

On May 16, 2019, searchers located Riley’s remains over a steep embankment near Tuscarora Pike, just east of Swinging Bridge Road in Berkeley County.¹ Clothing and dental spacers helped identify her at the scene, and the state Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the identification using dental records the next day.³

The condition of the body ruled out any innocent explanation. Riley’s shorts were unzipped, unbuttoned, and pulled unusually high. Her underwear appeared torn. She lay on a contractor-grade trash bag, one shoe untied, with a bright white substance visible on her skin. That substance was later identified as drywall compound. Because decomposition was advanced, the medical examiner listed the cause of death as “homicidal violence” without pinpointing the mechanism. Dr. Piotr Kubiczek, the first deputy chief medical examiner, testified at trial that smothering could not be ruled out.³

The Evidence That Pointed to McCauley

McCauley was 43 and lived in the household with Riley and her mother. He was arrested within hours of the discovery of her body.⁴

Riley’s Final Text Messages

The most damning evidence came from Riley. On the night of May 7, she texted her boyfriend: “Andy’s in my room…Sh. Don’t say anything about it. He can hear everything.” Then: “I’m scared.” Then simply: “Babe.”⁵ Her boyfriend had fallen asleep and did not see the messages until later.⁶ He routinely deleted his messages daily so his parents would not see them, but his Apple Watch had retained the exchange, and investigators recovered it there.

Blood, Saliva, and a Truck That Smelled Like Death

Inside Riley’s bedroom, West Virginia State Crime Lab analysts found stains on her pillow, comforter, and bed sheet that tested positive for her blood and saliva.⁵ Cadaver dogs brought to McCauley’s green work truck alerted on the truck bed near the left wheel well, signaling the odor of human decomposition.⁷

Two physical links then tied the truck to the dump site. Specialty roofing screws found in the truck bed matched screws recovered from the roadway above where Riley was found. And a large drywall compound spill in the same truck bed was consistent with the white substance on Riley’s skin and at the scene.⁷ Surveillance footage tracking McCauley’s movements that night contradicted the account he had given police.

What the Defense Argued

McCauley’s lawyers pushed back hard. They pointed out that no DNA, blood, or hair from McCauley was directly tied to Riley’s death, and that the blood and saliva in the bedroom were hers alone. They argued the prosecution could not say how she died or prove he caused it. McCauley claimed the drywall spill in his truck came from his erratic driving. The defense also challenged whether the cadaver dog handler’s testimony met West Virginia’s standard for expert evidence.⁸ Prosecutors conceded they had never established a clear motive.⁹

Verdict and Sentence

On October 5, 2021, the Morgan County jury convicted McCauley of first-degree murder, concealment of a deceased human body, and death of a child by a custodian by child abuse. The jury recommended no mercy.¹⁰ McCauley did not speak at either the trial or sentencing. Chantel Oakley told the court she would never see her daughter graduate, marry, or hold a child.

On November 4, 2021, Circuit Judge Debra McLaughlin imposed the maximum on every count and ran them consecutively:

First-degree murder: life without the possibility of parole
Death of a child by a custodian by child abuse: 15 years to life, consecutive
Concealment of a deceased human body: one to five years, consecutive

The judge also ordered McCauley to register as a child abuser, placed him on 50 years of supervised probation, and imposed a $5,000 fine. Morgan County Prosecutor Dan James said concurrent sentences are usually reserved for cases with some mitigating factor. “There’s no reason for it in this case,” he said.¹¹

The Appeal That Failed

McCauley was resentenced on May 23, 2022, for purposes of appeal, and he raised three arguments before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals: the denial of his change-of-venue motion, the admission of the cadaver dog handler’s testimony, and the sufficiency of the circumstantial evidence.⁸

The court rejected each one. On venue, it found the trial court had taken extensive precautions, including expanded questioning of prospective jurors and the removal of 29 for cause before seating the panel. On the evidence, the justices found the cumulative weight of the circumstantial case supported the verdict. Justice Wooten wrote for the court: “Petitioner’s final sufficiency of evidence argument is unavailing; accordingly we decline to disturb his conviction.” The decision was filed November 13, 2024. McCauley’s convictions and life sentence stand.¹²

1
Morgan County USA. McCauley Hearing Scheduled May 24 in Morgan County Magistrate Court
2
Morgan County USA. Who Killed Riley Crossman? The Investigation and Conviction
3
WV MetroNews. McCauley Jury Learn More About Victims Autopsy, Defendants Whereabouts During Disappearance
4
Court TV. WV v. Andy McCauley Jr. – Teen Killed Murder Trial
5
WV MetroNews. Prosecution Rests in McCauley Trial
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CBS Pittsburgh. West Virginia Man Convicted of Killing His Girlfriends 15-Year-Old Daughter
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Morgan Messenger. State Rests Case Against McCauley; Attorneys to Lay Out Defense on Monday
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Justia Case Law. State v. McCauley
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WV MetroNews. Investigators – McCauley Kept Lying About Death of Girlfriends Daughter, Leading to Murder Conviction
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WV MetroNews. McCauley Found Guilty of All Charges Including Murder of Girlfriends Daughter
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Herald-Mail Media. McCauley Gets Life Without Parole in Riley Crossmans Death
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Morgan Messenger. Supreme Court Denies McCauley Sentencing Appeal