True Crime Vault: Shot in the Dark

Summary

20/20 True Crime Vault: Shot in the Dark
Host: ABC News
Release Date: February 12, 2025

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Introduction to the Case

In the chilling episode titled "Shot in the Dark," ABC News’ 20/20 True Crime Vault delves into the tragic story of Emma Walker, a vibrant 16-year-old cheerleader from Knoxville, and her tumultuous relationship with Riley Gaul, an 18-year-old college football player. This in-depth investigation uncovers the dark complexities of teenage romance turned deadly, illustrating how obsession and control can escalate to fatal consequences.

Background of Emma and Riley

Emma Walker was a spirited freshman at Central High School, known for her dedication to cheerleading and her infectious energy. Standing at 5'4", Emma was described as a "petite sized powerhouse" and a "playful ball of energy" ([03:56] A). Her entrance into high school was marked by her passion, having been the only freshman to make the cheerleading team. Riley Gaul, the star quarterback, seemed to be the quintessential high school jock but harbored a "little nerdy" side, being a top student who enjoyed video games ([04:25] B).

The Tumultuous Relationship

Emma and Riley's relationship began as the picture-perfect high school romance, complete with social media posts showcasing their affection. However, over time, Riley's behavior became increasingly controlling and possessive. Emma's friends observed that Riley didn't show interest in getting to know her friends and started dictating her activities, leading to "drastic and dramatic" arguments ([05:40] B). Riley's messages grew more hostile, with texts like "I hate you, you're the biggest bitch I've ever come into contact with" and ominous threats such as "I'll see your name in the obituary" ([07:18] A; [07:25] B).

Despite friends and family urging Emma to end the relationship, Riley's manipulative tactics, including isolating her and making her feel he was the only one for her, made it difficult for her to break free ([08:36] B; [08:50] A). Emma eventually did end the relationship, hoping to regain her independence and well-being ([11:14] A).

The Events Leading to Emma’s Death

On Halloween 2016, after Emma successfully cut ties with Riley and began to feel like her old self again, a series of alarming events unfolded. On a Friday night, following a victorious football game, Emma received threatening text messages demanding she "go to your car alone" or risk harm to someone she loved ([09:17] B; [13:03] A). When Emma and her friend Zach Green investigated these messages, they found Riley lying confused with a head injury, claiming he had been kidnapped and forced into a van ([13:17] A; [14:09] B). This incident raised suspicions but initially led nowhere.

The following morning, Emma experienced a terrifying encounter with a mysterious man dressed entirely in black, pounding on her door ([15:12] A; [24:10] B). Feeling increasingly unsafe, Emma sought solace by reaching out to Riley, desperate for support despite their recent breakup ([15:26] B). Riley's erratic behavior, including his attempts to dispose of a gun he claimed was stolen from his grandfather, further fueled suspicions about his involvement ([23:30] A; [28:01] A).

The Investigation Unfolds

Detective Nikki Buels led the forensic investigation at Emma’s home, initially classified as a suicide. However, the discovery of a bullet hole in Emma's bedroom wall quickly shifted the case to a homicide investigation ([19:49] A; [20:31] B). Further evidence, including shell casings matched to Riley's grandfather's missing Glock, pointed towards Riley as the primary suspect. Friends of Riley, particularly Alex McCarty, revealed Riley’s possession of the gun and his fear of his supposed kidnappers ([23:30] A; [24:10] B).

Riley as a Suspect

During police interrogations, Riley exhibited suspicious behavior. He avoided mentioning Emma by name, denying knowledge of the gun despite friends' testimonies, and his demeanor was described as "emotionless" and "disconnected" ([26:13] B; [27:51] A). Riley’s inconsistent alibis and his strange request to clean fingerprints off a gun further implicated him ([29:03] A; [29:15] A). His attempts to fabricate a narrative involving substance abuse highlighted his desperation to evade suspicion ([33:10] A; [30:43] A).

The Sting Operation and Arrest

Convinced of Riley's guilt, Emma's friends orchestrated a sting operation alongside the police to retrieve the alleged murder weapon. Equipped with hidden cameras and microphones, they set a trap to catch Riley in the act of disposing of the gun ([31:37] A; [34:07] A). On the day of the operation, Riley led his friends to an apartment complex under the pretense of disposing of the weapon. Upon Riley retrieving a trash bag from his stepfather’s basement, police swiftly moved in, arresting him before he could escape ([34:36] B; [37:10] A). Riley was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and multiple other felonies ([37:38] B).

The Trial and Verdict

Nearly two years later, the courtroom saw a transformed Riley Gaul, now facing the consequences of his actions. The defense admitted that Riley fired the fatal shots but contended that his intent was to scare Emma into reconciling, not to kill her ([40:04] A; [40:23] B). However, prosecutors presented evidence of the bullet trajectories and Riley’s controlling behavior as indicative of an intent to kill ([40:36] B; [40:55] B). The jury found Riley guilty of reckless homicide, sentencing him to life in prison ([41:05] A; [41:21] B).

Reflections and Conclusions

Emma’s parents, Mark and Jill Walker, expressed mixed emotions of relief and sorrow. While justice was served, the pain of losing their daughter remained palpable ([39:33] B; [42:25] A). The case underscores the dangers of toxic relationships and the importance of recognizing early warning signs such as possessiveness and emotional abuse. Emma's family hopes that her story will help others identify and escape unhealthy relationships before tragedy strikes ([42:25] B).

In his final statement, Riley Gaul offered a remorseful apology, acknowledging the irreversible consequences of his actions but failing to fully grasp the magnitude of his wrongdoing ([42:02] A). The episode concludes with Emma's family finding solace in the memories she left behind, emphasizing the enduring impact of her life and untimely death.

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Notable Quotes:

• "We looked at each other and said, did you just say that?" ([39:07] A)
• "If he couldn't have her, then nobody can have you." ([41:43] A)
• "You aren't allowed to put your life on hold to pursue your professional goals. Instead, enjoy learning your way and earn your degree without missing a beat." ([00:00] A) – Note: This is part of an advertisement and not related to the true crime story.

Conclusion

"Shot in the Dark" serves as a poignant reminder of how seemingly ordinary relationships can harbor hidden dangers. Through meticulous investigation and community involvement, justice was ultimately achieved, bringing closure to a devastated family and a community in mourning. This episode not only recounts the tragic events but also imparts valuable lessons on the signs of unhealthy relationships and the importance of intervention.

Transcript

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Welcome to the true crime Vault, home to 2020's most chilling stories.

[A]

Go to your car with your keys. Go alone. I've got someone you love. If you don't comply, I will hurt them.

[B]

Tonight on 20 20. How did the bright lights of high.

[A]

School turn so dark?

[B]

For one of its golden couples, this.

[A]

Is a real gun.

[B]

Hands up all the way.

[A]

Turn, turn, stop.

[B]

Emma's the sparkling, popular cheerleader. Riley's the possessive football player. When things would not go the way he wanted, he would sometimes claim he was going to kill himself. Together, they were a bad romance.

[A]

This wasn't a good relationship. So she broke up with him. Yes, finally.

[B]

But bizarrely, a mysterious man in black.

[A]

Starts making things worse, much worse for both of Riley. He's like, I've been kidnapped. I don't know what's happening. Where am I holding his head? Like, he got hit upside the head. He basically told me that these people knocked him out, took his car and threw him in a van.

[B]

Essentially kidnapped, she's being stalked by a man. Caught on video.

[A]

Out of the blue, someone just starts banging on her door. She's home alone. She's scared.

[B]

So are her friends.

[A]

When someone ends up dead. Oh, like some Romeo and Juliet story.

[B]

In the middle of the night, you heard a noise. Tonight we're taking you inside the investigation to catch the killer. The case in court just hours ago. So you two now offer to help the police in a sting operation.

[A]

The camera was right on the tip of the key fob and we set it down pointing right at the couch. I'm trusting you guys, like, with my life.

[B]

Shot in the dark, here's Deborah Roberts. It's Friday night. The lights, the band, and everyone's decked out in red and black, rooting for the Central High Bobcats of Knoxville.

[A]

Knoxville is a rural community.

[B]

There's a lot of mountain folks around here, though. Deep in the heart of the Bible belt here, football is religion Fridays.

[A]

Everybody's excited at school to see how well we do. It's what our school revolves around. So it's exciting.

[B]

But no one supports the bobcats quite like the cheerleaders.

[A]

Good bobcats.

[B]

And in the fall of 2014, there was a new girl whose spirit was sparkling. 14 year old freshman Emma Walker, Emma.

[A]

Realized, took cheerleading seriously. She really loved doing it, you know, it was one of her passions. She loved leading and she loved football games. She loved just being part of crowd appeal.

[B]

Going into high school, being a freshman cheerleader, was that a big deal for her?

[A]

She had done competitive gymnastics as a young child and then competitive dance. When she tried out for cheerleader, she was the only freshman that made it. So she was very tickled with herself.

[B]

At only 5ft 4 inches, Emma's a petite sized powerhouse, but also a playful ball of energy. Always moving to the beat.

[A]

I like the head. Emma was very kind and warm hearted, but she was goofy too at the same time. She could do the worm, you know. All of her other moves were kind of like, okay, Emma, you should probably stop now.

[B]

That spunky cheerleader soon catches the eye of number eight, Central high's star player, Riley Gaul. He's like a speeding bullet on the field. Was he the classic jock in high school?

[A]

No, he's a little nerdy on the side, a little to himself, kind of from the outside looking in. You just think he's just a normal guy.

[B]

Friends describe him as a jokester, raised by his mom and grandparents. Riley, seemingly a contradiction of high school cliches. The star athlete, also a top student who loves to play video games. What did you think right away of this new boy that she was smitten.

[A]

With the boy next door. He came in very polite, very nice. In the beginning I thought he was very nice looking young man, well mannered.

[B]

What were the rules about dating and going out?

[A]

Never would let them go out on a formal date. He could come over to the house. They would meet up after football games to eat and things like that. They had fun. They seemed like they really liked each other. We were happy for her that she found someone that she really liked.

[B]

Her social media splashed with pictures of the perfect pair. Paddle boarding, cuddling silly in their selfies. Emma writing look how lucky I am. Riley Gaul and Emma Walker were just this sort of quintessential high school couple. You know, the cheerleader and the football player. And what was the relationship like?

[A]

At first it was just kind of normal, like nothing out of the ordinary. He didn't really talk to us, her friends, a lot, but I was just like, oh, he's shy, new Boyfriend. It just seemed normal. But then after a while was when we got kind of concerned.

[B]

What concerned you?

[A]

That he didn't really have any interest in getting to know her friends. And he kind of became controlling over her. What she did, her activities. He got more possessive and more clingy towards her and, you know, wouldn't let her do certain things.

[B]

Riley and Emma quickly become that other classic high school couple, the one that's always breaking up and getting back together again. And when they had fights, were they big fights?

[A]

They were really dramatic, I would say, just because it was usually just like yelling at each other or just like harmful words towards each other, the relationship.

[B]

Did not seem healthy at all. They argued fiercely, and then they sort of made up fiercely. But it was always drama, always drama with those two. He would comment on what she wore and tell her what not to wear.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And what would you say to that?

[A]

We're the decision makers in that. Not your boyfriend. When things got really intense and bad, he would wait outside her work for her to get off, and he would just wait outside for hours. Just wait.

[B]

Did you all relate this to Emma? Did you feel concerned for her? Does she seem to feel concerned?

[A]

I told her and some of the other friends told her, just like, you could do better. Like, we don't like him, but, like, she just kind of brushed it off. She did her own thing.

[B]

Emma's friends say the football star becomes aggressive. Take a look at some of his Snapchats to his girlfriend, I hate you.

[A]

I hate everything about you. You're the biggest bitch I've ever come into contact with. Riley didn't speak to her the way that a guy should talk to a girl. It was just disrespectful.

[B]

One message in particular alarms her mom, Jill.

[A]

We on one occasion saw when I'll see your name in the obituary.

[B]

He wrote that to her.

[A]

He wrote that to her and we questioned him about it. He said, I was just angry. That's when it started to get many more red flags.

[B]

Emma's parents ban Riley from the house and take away her cell phone, hoping to stop the obsessed teens from communicating. It doesn't work.

[A]

Riley gave Emma an ipod touch and she texted him through the wi fi.

[B]

For every nasty gram he sends, there is a quick apology. Emma, I'm sorry for however I act to you. I love you more than words can describe. Did you attempt to break them up or advise her to break up?

[A]

Yes, several times. But as you do that with a teenager, the more you butt heads, the more she is going to think he is in the right because he had a way of isolating her and making her think that he was the only one.

[B]

Next, a mysterious and frightening third person enters the picture.

[A]

Out of the blue, someone just starts banging on her door. I'm getting these really weird text messages saying that Riley's been kidnapped.

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[B]

It's Halloween 2016 and it's not the decorations that have Mark and Jill Walker feeling spooked. It's their high school daughter Emma's two year tumultuous relationship with boyfriend Riley Gaultier, now an 18 year old college football player who's cast a spell over her. At some point you ground her. She's not allowed to see Riley.

[A]

Mm.

[B]

And does that work?

[A]

No. They would always find their way somehow to see each other. It became sneaky at that point.

[B]

So Jill brings down the hammer, confining her Daughter to the house, only letting her out for school and cheerleading. Shockingly, it appears to work.

[A]

She did become like her old self again. She would come out, out of her room, eat dinner with us, socialize with us.

[B]

So you were seeing your daughter re Emerge?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

As for Emma's relationship with Riley, it's over. See her text message to her friends.

[A]

Well, we are done for good. She just came to the realization that she deserved better, like, this wasn't a good relationship. So she broke up with him. And then we're all like, yes, finally. Like, it's happening, like, what we've been waiting for.

[B]

But her boyfriend isn't taking the breakup well. Over in his nearby college dorm, he takes Vicodin pills and washes them down with alcohol. An attempt to kill himself. One of the things that Riley Goll was known for is when things would not go the way he wanted, he would sometimes claim he was gonna kill himself if they didn't. And, you know, reunite. How did you hear that he might have been suicidal?

[A]

He would just, like, be, like, off to the side, like, moping, saying things like, I just feel so depressed, Like, I want to hurt myself. Blah, blah, blah, blah. But it was just things that he would just, like, say a lot. It was just, like, a cry for help, I guess, in a way.

[B]

It's Friday night, and the Bobcats have won a big playoff game. Emma's allowed to join in a celebration at a friend's house. Then, around 11:30, something strange begins to happen. Zach Green is with Emma that night.

[A]

I walk in, and Emma's, like, coming out of the bathroom, and she's like, zach, I'm getting these really weird text messages. Come outside alone. If you don't want to see a loved one get hurt, I've got someone you love. If you don't comply, I will hurt them.

[B]

Was she spooked?

[A]

Yeah. She was just feeling really weird about it. I mean, it's a random number.

[B]

Creepy. But Emma thinks it's one of Riley's friends playing a prank. Then the messages become even more menacing. He's in a ditch beside her house.

[A]

It's a shame you can all of.

[B]

A sudden not value someone else's life.

[A]

We end up going back outside, and we look, and we see a body laying face down. Like just a dark figure through the.

[B]

Glow of the streetlight, A surprising sight. It's Riley.

[A]

And then we finally get to him, and he's holding up his head, Kind of has his confused face on. He's like. Emma's like, why are you Here. He's like, I don't know what happened. I don't know how I got here. I've been kidnapped. Someone dropped me off here. I don't know what's happening. Where am I? How did I get here? Holding his head. Like he got hit upside the head, kind of. It was just very weird.

[B]

They're all left dumbfounded. And when you stepped out, where did you see him?

[A]

He was kind of up there near, like. Kind of the shrub, like where those thin trees are kind of laying down part in the driveway, maybe.

[B]

Lying down?

[A]

Yeah. Like face down, like this? Kind of.

[B]

And how did Emma react?

[A]

Very uneasy. She was very upset. She was crying. She didn't really know what to think because I'm just. She's just like, we just broke up. Like, leave me alone.

[B]

And if that's not bizarre enough, Riley simply walks away and calls his close buddy Noah.

[A]

He sounded like he'd been crying or like he was sounding fatigued, I guess. And he basically told me that these people knocked him out, took his car and threw him in a van, and he didn't know where.

[B]

He was essentially kidnapped.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Did you believe him?

[A]

Not at all, you know, but what am I supposed to do?

[B]

Did anybody offer to call the police?

[A]

We talked about it, but he said no. Just like, no, no, no cops.

[B]

The next morning, just hours after that supposed kidnapping, things go from strange to sinister.

[A]

Emma is supposed to go meet her mom. And while she's home, out of the blue, someone just starts banging on her door. All she can see is this. Is this person. She's not opening the door. She's home alone. She's scared.

[B]

Emma texting her friends, I'm home alone.

[A]

And somebody in all black walked down my street and came to my door and rang the doorbell over and over again. I thought I was going to die. Emma's obviously shook, and who do you think she calls? She calls, riley, I'm shaking and crying. I hate you, but I need you right now. I'm coming.

[B]

I'm speeding. Just give me a minute.

[A]

She was supposed to come meet me. She didn't show. I had an intuition. Something's going on. So I drove to home, and Riley's car was sitting out front of the house, and they were in the driveway.

[B]

What was your first thought?

[A]

I thought, you're kidding me. He knows he's not allowed here. And I just said, you know, you're not allowed. You need to leave. And he did leave.

[B]

Were you worried?

[A]

Yes, I was worried, yes. And tried to calm her down and.

[B]

Take her mind off of it, but she's thinking, what? That some stalker or maybe some burglar is trying to get into the house? I think when we come back, an unimaginable discovery.

[A]

Where is your emergency?

[B]

Inside the Walker home.

[A]

They're wrapping tape around our house like some Romeo and Juliet story. Was my thought.

[B]

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[B]

It's now Sunday and Emma Walker is still on edge after a disgrace disturbing weekend. Her ex boyfriend claiming to have been kidnapped and a mysterious man in black who frightened her just 24 hours earlier, banging on her door. Were you worried?

[A]

I was worried. And we were watching her. I mean, Sunday we followed her to work, followed her back home to make sure she was safe. She said, I'm craving ice cream. So we drove to Sonic. We had a nice cold sonic blast and I wished her good night. I love you. See you tomorrow. I went to bed. She stayed up.

[B]

And how did she seem?

[A]

She seemed very happy. Very happy and relaxed. More of a. Like a weight had been lifted off her shoulder.

[B]

You spoke with her on that Sunday?

[A]

We just talked about homework. We procrastinated over the weekend, just getting it done.

[B]

Did she seem nervous, upset?

[A]

Not when she was texting me at this point. I was like, okay, like this is it. Like they broke up for good? Like she's getting back to normal. Riley's out of the picture. It just all seemed normal.

[B]

It has been a crazy weekend. But Emma finally feels calm by the time she goes to bed just after midnight. By 6am it's time for school.

[A]

I went in there and to wake her up, which is usually very easy to wake her up and said her name, didn't hear anything, bumped her leg, didn't hear anything and then went to her face and realized and checked for a pulse and couldn't find anything. I don't remember a whole lot from that moment. I mean, I know I called 911. Where is your emergency? What's going on there? I just had to wake up my daughter for school and she has no pulse. How old is she? She's 16. You said that she's non responsive? Yeah. The call came out as a suicide. It was about 30 minutes before shift was over.

[B]

Officer Nikki Buels is the lead forensic technician on the case.

[A]

When I first got there, I started my photographs on the outside of the residence. I walked in, photographed the interior of.

[B]

The residence, photographed the bedroom. A typical teen girl's bedroom. Messy, with clothes and beauty products thrown about, pictures and cheer trophies on the wall. But immediately Officer Buels notices something unusual.

[A]

There was a hole in the wall.

[B]

It appeared to be a bullet hole.

[A]

At that point I knew, knew that it probably was not a suicide. It's been upgraded from a suicide to a homicide.

[B]

Lead detective Alan Merritt rushes to the Walker home. He takes me back to the scene.

[A]

So you know, I'm standing outside here. The bullet hole is, you know, just about shoulder height there in the wall.

[B]

A big hole?

[A]

No, it's just a small bullet hole, about the size of a ballpoint ink pen. Roughly about this area here, I locate this spent shell casing. The first spent shell casing.

[B]

On the opposite side of the fence, another big discovery. A second shell casing?

[A]

Yes ma'am, a second shell casing. So now you know, I've got a second shell casing. Where's. Why is it here? Where did it come from? Obviously there was a second shot fired.

[B]

So another 16 year old. Emma Walker, the warm hearted, vibrant cheerleader, dead of a gunshot wound to the head. Two bullets fired into her bedroom. One striking Emma behind her left ear, the second lodged in her pillow. The shooter must have known she was sleeping behind that wall.

[A]

Once the detective got there, we were asked to leave the residence. They were wrapping tape around our house and walking around outside. So obviously it had turned into a crime scene at that point. But we still had no idea what had happened to her.

[B]

You talked to her parents, did you ask them if they Thought there was somebody who could be out to hurt her.

[A]

We spoke to the family, we spoke to her friends, and everybody kept giving us the name Riley Gall because of their relationship, because they had seen the way that Riley had treated her, that they. The way he had talked to her.

[B]

So the Knox County Sheriff's department pays him a visit.

[A]

He didn't say a whole lot. He was just kind of in a daze a little bit. He was sat over. His girlfriend losing her life.

[B]

Riley takes to social media to publicly mourn his lost love. Rest easy now, sweetheart. I love you forever and always.

[A]

What stood out to me from these tweets immediately was the repetitive nature of him saying, I love you, I love you, I love you. If you just saw that, you would think that this was an ex boyfriend who just lost his first love.

[B]

Emma's friends are devastated.

[A]

I was confused. All I knew is she was dead and there was nothing I could do. It didn't register in my mind. No one would expect our Emma to be, you know, dead.

[B]

A town in mourning honoring Emma with a candlelight. Vigilant students will be gathering at Central High School tonight to remember the life of a classmate who recently died. Her fellow cheerleaders releasing balloons in her memory during the next football game. But Riley's circle of friends are now worried about his well being. They know he's previously attempted suicide. Alex McCarty tells detectives about a secret Riley shared with him Saturday just before Emma died.

[A]

He ended up telling me, like, that night he was so fearful for his life that he had stolen his grandfather's gun and he showed it to me.

[B]

He showed you his grandfather's gun?

[A]

Yes, and I held it in my hand that night.

[B]

So he's been acting strangely, and then he shows you a gun. How worried were you about him?

[A]

I was very worried. He reassured me over and over again that he was the farthest thing from suicidal. He's. He was so scared of these people. How to get him, how to get Emma.

[B]

Riley insists he needs the gun to protect himself and Emma from those supposed kidnappers. And the man in black pounding at Emma's door. What did you hear from the friends about what struck them as odd?

[A]

Person dressed all in black, head to toe, even sunglasses, a hoodie on, face covered. Goes to Emma's house, tries to get in, scares her.

[B]

Did you think maybe there was some other suspect out there who had been stalking her? Sure. Now investigators are on the hunt for security cameras, hoping the killer might have been caught on tape. We had the exits from this residence.

[A]

We saw cars Going by, we couldn't identify them.

[B]

The cameras didn't have enough resolution. But one camera just blocks away does capture an image of a shadowy figure. Could it be the man in black? Is this the killer? Stay with us.

[A]

A shot for Knoxville and a Knox county high school. A cheerleader shot and killed. Knoxville teen found in her home dead.

[B]

An investigation right now underway this afternoon in the death of a Knox county teen. On social media, Riley Gaul is a picture perfect grieving boyfriend, citing Bible verses to his lost love.

[A]

And this is from a gun case from the grandfather.

[B]

But police aren't buying his digital tears. He's now a person of interest in Emma Walker's death. Just 16 hours after Emma's body is discovered, the college football standout is running into a different kind of defender.

[A]

You have the right to remain silent.

[B]

Detectives with the Knox County Sheriff's Department on the offensive, wanting to know about the weekend he spent at his friend Noah's house.

[A]

Who else? At Nois? When you get there, it was just me and him. And then I think it was just me and him on the night. I don't remember anybody else showing up. And you said you spent the night? I'm pretty sure I did, yes. Actually. Yes, I'm positive I did. I did spend the night. You can't remember if you spent the night at Noah or stayed at your grandparents?

[B]

Did that strike you as strange that he couldn't remember if he spent the night here, what time he went there?

[A]

You know, we're talking about, you know, what'd you do yesterday and not what you did two years ago. His answers were vague.

[B]

Vague and detached. Throughout the nearly two hour police interrogation, Riley never utters Emma's name, referring to her as the girl.

[A]

The girl. She texted me. Which girl? The one that passed away. Okay, what's her name? Emma. Yeah. When I first met him at his grandpa's. That he might have been a grieving boyfriend. When we got into the interview room and sat down, I felt like there's a dark side. He didn't have a whole lot of passion or concern.

[B]

Riley tells detectives he'd been trying to speak with Emma all weekend, but she wouldn't engage, even blocking his number.

[A]

But she said if I would help her write her paper, she would talk to me. And I used one of my friends phones on campus to call her. Tell me about the phone call you and inhale. I was crying and I was trying to get her to reason with me on being back together with me. And she just kept saying no. She said she didn't care about the relationship anymore. She said, you need to stop. You're crazy. You need to get alive. The phone block me.

[B]

Then Riley offers police his alibi, saying after hanging up with Emma, he went to his grandparents house, then drove back to his dorm, where he breaks down emotionally.

[A]

I just sat there for about two or three hours and just wept. Just looking at pictures of us and stuff like that.

[B]

But where are those tears now?

[A]

In my opinion, he was emotionless. His interview was probably one of the most disconnected. It almost seemed rehearsed, deliberate. You have no idea what your grandfather's guns are? No, sir.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And you, you do not own a handgun, correct? I'm sir.

[B]

And you began to ask him about the gun?

[A]

He did not have the gun, didn't know where the gun was, and basically didn't have anything to do with it.

[B]

Now, you had already talked to friends of his who had told you that he had this gun?

[A]

Yes, ma'am. What if I told you someone told us that they saw you with a gun? What would you think that time? I would wonder who said that and where they saw him with the gun. Alex McCarty said that you showed him a handgun. Where is the gun? I did not know. You understand, though, for us, Alex has no reason to lie about something like that. Yeah, but I'm telling you, I don't know where it's at. He said that you showed him the gun, you told him that you had it, and you told him that you got it from your granddad. Don't have the gun. I don't know why he would say that. I knew immediately, within minutes of sitting down to talk to him. Riley Gaul wasn't going to confess to anything. He wasn't going to do it.

[B]

So detectives then turn up the heat, pressing Riley about a strange request he made of his buddy Noah.

[A]

Do you ever remember having a conversation with Noah about getting fingerprints off a gun? How do you get fingerprints off a gun? No. He asked if I knew how to get fingerprints off a gun, how to.

[B]

Get fingerprints off a gun.

[A]

He said he was asking for his roommate. I told him obviously not and not to ever ask me anything like that again. And he said, I know, I know. It was for my roommate. I thought it was weird.

[B]

It finally dawns on Riley. He's in serious trouble.

[A]

Am I a suspect in her passing? Should you be? I just feel like I'm being badgered with questions. I hope to God I'm not a suspect in her death. Did I say you were? I hope you don't think it because I wouldn't hurt that girl. Did you shoot Indiana's house? No, sir.

[B]

And just like that, the interview is over. Riley's head in his hands. But when he leaves the station, the star receiver goes on the defensive, texting his pal Alex. Why did you tell him about the gun? They think I shot her because of it.

[A]

I told him he had no reason to withhold the weapon if he had nothing to hide and that if anything, it could prove that he was innocent.

[B]

Alex says he can't take the lying anymore and calls out his calculating friend.

[A]

I asked him just outright like, what happened to the gun that you showed me? He said, I returned it to my grandpa. You don't have to worry about it. And his mom walks out and begins questioning Riley in front of me about the whereabouts of the gun.

[B]

So what are you making of this?

[A]

He bald faced lied to me.

[B]

Just then in texts. Riley insists he didn't lie, asking his friends not to speak to police anymore.

[A]

I didn't kill her and I'm probably going to jail.

[B]

What's his demeanor like?

[A]

He's frantic about getting caught. He was on edge and he was like, the only thing we can do is I just have to get rid of it. I have to get rid of the gun. In order for me not to get pinned for something that I didn't do, in order for me not to go to jail for something that I didn't do, I have to get rid of this weapon. That's when I knew, like he did it.

[B]

Next, Riley has a plan involving Alex and Noah.

[A]

Tell him you're on lsd. You were drunk.

[B]

But what he doesn't know, they have a plan of their own. So you two now offer to help the police in a sting operation. The trap to catch a killer. When 2020 returns, engineering student Noah Walton and buddy Alex McCarty are convinced their longtime friend Riley Gaul killed his high school sweetheart, Emma Walker. He said he wanted to go and throw the gun away.

[A]

Yeah, I just knew that if there was a chance that he could get rid of the murder weapon, he should stop it. I had to solve it.

[B]

Two teens work with police to lay a trap.

[A]

If they could help us get what they believe to be the murder weapon back. Huge, huge piece of information.

[B]

That missing gun, the key piece of evidence. Authorities suspect the shell casings found at the scene came from Riley's grandfather's missing 9 millimeter Glock. They wire up Alex and Noah with microphones, a transmitter so they can listen in, and a video camera hidden in a key fob like this one. So you two now offer to help the police in a sting operation. Were you worried about that?

[A]

I was just fearful that maybe justice couldn't been done if we made the wrong move. The camera was right on the tip of the key fob. Let me set it down. Pointing right at the couch.

[B]

It's now Tuesday, the day after Emma's death. The guys invite Riley to come over to Noah's house to play video games.

[A]

I don't know who shot Emma. I put that on my life. I'm not. I wouldn't lie to you. Right here, right now. I don't know who did. I would never hurt her a day in my life. I had that gun because I was scared about what happened. I know you don't believe me. You probably don't either. Whatever.

[B]

At first, Riley seems unsure whether to trust his friends. Yet he has a plan and begins writing a script for them to throw police off his scent.

[A]

Tell them you're on lsd, you were drunk and you were high. Your mind was altered. Whatever statement you give them wasn't a straightforward answer. He basically wanted to nullify all our previous statements by saying we were under the influence and we didn't know what we were talking about.

[B]

What do you say then?

[A]

I said, okay, I didn't do it. But I was like, okay, sure, bro. My bad. I didn't know I was gonna get you in trouble.

[B]

So you're playing him at this point?

[A]

Yeah, but I'm trusting you guys, like, with my life, because, I mean, this is 70 years in jail if I get convicted of something I didn't do. And. Are you guys. Are you busy right now? Like, are you about to do anything? Can we go to the bluffs? Because I need to get rid of the gun at the bluff. I'm gonna throw it in the water. They will never. They'll never find it in the river.

[B]

The bluffs is a wooded area down by the Tennessee river where teens often hang out to drink and get high.

[A]

I want to get rid of it. Well, do you guys want to go right now?

[B]

And just like that, the trio jumps in Alex's car. The sting is on.

[A]

Hey, we gotta go up to Seth's house. Yeah. He tells us that he doesn't have the gun on him and we have to go pick it up from his stepfather's house. He said he it down in the basement. Me and Noah wait in the car. He didn't want us to come in. And he comes back with his trash bag. Success.

[B]

Bag of trash.

[A]

I just Threw it in there. I don't know what's in there.

[B]

This is actual audio of the guys inside the car.

[A]

I just want to throw it and be done.

[B]

Are you anxious, like, you want to see it right away, or do you know that you've got to pace yourself? What do you think?

[A]

We tried a little bit. We did try to coax it. Dang. Is it in there? Like, let me see. It's cool. Don't see guns a lot.

[B]

And he doesn't buy it.

[A]

No, he doesn't. He actually is kind of weird about it.

[B]

But Alex and Noah try to keep things as casual as possible, telling jokes, singing along to the radio, and going on a run for their favorite fast food. But what Riley doesn't know. Lieutenant Steve Sanders is in an unmarked SUV tailing the boys. He takes me along the route. Early on, you can have you hear the audio, and then suddenly you lose it. What are you all thinking?

[A]

It's kind of a. Oh, no. What do we do now? It's a distance thing.

[B]

Fortunately, three undercover vehicles are riding alongside them. They communicate with Noah and Alex via group text. With the tension mounting, the guys make their way up to this apartment complex.

[A]

They parked here, and they sat in the vehicle for, I'd say probably five, ten minutes or so talking. He was, like, putting on white gloves and waiting everything. Very meticulous about how he got everything out. And then we just, like, kept waiting, kept waiting and.

[B]

Are you texting at that point? The police.

[A]

I told him when we got the bag, I told him we didn't see it yet, but he had a bag full of, like, black clothes, and it was. It's supposedly in there. And it was about to happen soon. I don't know when. Oh, my God. What? This is a real gun.

[B]

There it is. They finally see the murder weapon.

[A]

Actually, it was a good three or four, maybe up to five minutes of him having the gun out and getting other things out after Noah had already texted the keyword and that the cops finally did show up to where we were.

[B]

Everybody put your hands out of the vehicle now.

[A]

What the. Oh, my God. What the. Leave your hands out of the vehicle.

[B]

It actually goes down in less than 90 seconds. Police spring, guns drawn.

[A]

Riley, he's just freaking out. He's swearing left and right. He says, I can't go to jail. I can't go to jail.

[B]

Outside, detectives say their suspect Riley appears broken. Finally defeated, he was taken into custody.

[A]

He was cooperative, and he didn't say anything.

[B]

We didn't suspect that this would be the Person we would be filming at 11 as the suspect tonight, a Maryville.

[A]

College football player behind bars accused of.

[B]

Killing a Knox county teenager. His motive? They say, according to the state, he couldn't get over their breakup.

[A]

Investigators believe he was trying to destroy evidence.

[B]

18 year old Riley Gaul in custody, charged with first degree murder and six other felonies.

[A]

It was a major relief to me knowing that, you know, he's. He's gonna pay for what he done.

[B]

And investigators believe he's responsible for even more than Emma's murder. Inside the white trash bag, not only the murder weapon, but a treasure trove of evidence. What was in there with the. With the gun? Gloves.

[A]

There was. There was gloves and trash bags and tennis shoes. The black tape, some of the black clothing.

[B]

You think those were the shoes that were used?

[A]

Yeah, I really think that that was the clothes used not only the night of the murder, but I think also that with the clothes that was used the morning of the man in black incident.

[B]

That's right. The last four days all make sense now. Authorities convinced that Riley Gaul is not only a killer, but staged his own kidnapping and is also the mysterious man in black who stalked Emma. When we come back, the football star on trial with a surprising defense.

[A]

We looked at each other and said, did you.

[B]

Did he just say that? And Emma's parents come face to face with their daughter's accused killer. What are your feelings toward him, Mark?

[A]

I don't know that I can tell you that on camera. But I would like to tell him one day, hey, I gotta quit.

[B]

The stunning courtroom conclusion next. Nearly two years since Emma's death. It's finally judgment day for Riley Gaul. His appearance radically transformed.

[A]

This was a very different person that I didn't recognize. You know, every day he dressed in a polo slacks, didn't look up, didn't talk to anyone.

[B]

More surprising, the defense's first words.

[A]

We'll ask you to find Mr. Gall.

[B]

Guilty of reckless homicide. The defense lawyer, Wesley Stone, stunning the courtroom admitting that Riley fired that fatal bullet. But he says not to kill Emma, only to scare her in hopes that she would call him for help and he could emerge as the hero.

[A]

To me, the hero defense was laughable in his mind.

[B]

Oh, I'm just gonna scare her by.

[A]

Shooting at her through the wall where.

[B]

She'S laying her head. And if it was his desperate attempt to get attention from her, then it.

[A]

Was really, truly a bad idea.

[B]

Prosecutors point to the trajectory of the bullets. Remember, Emma was shot at twice from two different angles. The trajectory was a crossing pattern.

[A]

That came where both would have struck her. This is an absolute intent to kill.

[B]

Stone insists that Riley Gaul was not the mysterious man in black pounding on Emma's door. Did Riley Gaul murder Emma Walker?

[A]

By the definition of murder, no.

[B]

I do believe it was a reckless homicide.

[A]

You didn't play football.

[B]

Yes, sir. After a week of testimony and more than 30 witnesses.

[A]

Guilty.

[B]

And when you heard guilty.

[A]

It's a good feeling. I mean, it doesn't bring her back, but that's the best we could get. He shouldn't get to live his life either.

[B]

The former football star sentenced to life in prison.

[A]

Take a life, give a life. It's exactly what he deserves. Honestly.

[B]

Why do you think he killed Emma?

[A]

If he couldn't have her, then nobody can have you. And so that's really the only thing I can think of. He claimed he loved her. But it wasn't a healthy love. More of just ownership of her he.

[B]

Felt just this afternoon in court.

[A]

At his sentencing hearing, Gaul breaks his silence, offering a scripted apology. I'm sorry I took Emma away from me. My intentions that night were never to harm Emma, let alone take her life. I wanted to scare her. Bradley, you are not Emma's hero. You ended her life. No punishment will ever bring Emma back. But what helps is knowing that you can't do this to anyone else.

[B]

What do you want to see come out of this that might help someone else?

[A]

If your boyfriend or girlfriend is telling you you can't go there, or what to wear, who to hang out with or who to talk to, that it's not okay. And I think when they become quiet and withdrawn, it's a big sign, too. It's not just bruises. It's emotional and controlling. I love you so much.

[B]

The Walker family now finding comfort in unexpected surprises Emma left behind. And you didn't know she put this on.

[A]

That's her thing.

[B]

Very cute. Do you find yourself going back looking through these, or.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Their home. A kind of living photo album, locking Emma in their hearts and memories. Thanks for listening to the 2020 True Crime Vault. We hope you'll join us Friday nights at 9 on ABC for all new broadcast episodes. See you then.