By Ivy Brown, Court TV
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — A jury has found Andy J. McCauley, Jr. guilty of all charges in the death of 15-year-old Riley Crossman, including first-degree murder. Prosecutors argued McCauley murdered his girlfriend’s daughter on May 7, 2019. Her body was found nine days later in rural Berkeley County.
Following the verdict, jurors heard brief arguments and testimony in the mercy phase of the trial. They returned with a verdict of no mercy, meaning the recommendation of life in prison without the possibility of parole. A sentencing date of November 4 has been set.
ORIGINAL STORY
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — A West Virginia man is facing life in prison if convicted for the death of his girlfriend’s 15-year-old daughter.
Andy J. McCauley, Jr. is accused of murdering Riley Crossman in May 2019. Division of Natural Resources officers found the teen’s body in rural Berkeley County on May 16.
According to a criminal complaint, Crossman was reported missing on May 8, when she didn’t come home from school. Two days later, authorities interviewed McCauley about his whereabouts the day Crossman was last seen.
In a series of inconsistencies, McCauley claimed he went to his job as a construction worker and didn’t leave the site all day. He then claimed he left the job site to buy drugs, but changed his statement to say he went home to get drugs for himself and a coworker.
When searching McCauley’s pickup truck, Morgan County Sheriff’s deputies reportedly found drywall mud in the bed. A cadaver dog also “indicated to the positive presence of a deceased person odor,” according to the complaint. Authorities say the drywall mud was consistent with “the location of possible drywall mud on (Crossman’s) body.” Deputies said surveillance video also puts McCauley near where Crossman’s body was found.
McCauley was taken into custody hours after Crossman’s remains were found. He is facing charges of first-degree murder, concealment of a body, and death by child abuse.
DAY 7 – 10/5/21
- The jury reaches a verdict
- During the mercy phase, the jury recommends no mercy, meaning life in prison without the possiblity of parole
- Judge sets a sentencing date of Nov. 4
DAY 6 – 10/4/21
- Defendant Andy McCauley declines to testify – the defense rests
- The jury hears closing arguments
DAY 5 – 10/1/21
- Riley appeared to wear leggings and hoodies regularly (Her body was found wearing shorts)
- Riley’s pillow, comforter, top sheet, and Victoria’s Secret ribbon all contained a mixture of blood and saliva
- Haydn Lacy testified to receiving Riley’s last text messages before she disappeared – that Andy was in her room and she was scared
- Haydn said Andy was texting Riley at the same time he was
- Haydn said Riley warned him, when Andy was near, not to unmute himself
- The one hour that Andy’s cell phone wasn’t active, Riley’s phone disappeared from the Verizon cell tower at 3:13 AM
- WATCH: 10/1/21 Teen Killed Murder Trial: Day 5
DAY 4 – 9/30/21
- The siren = for the community’s volunteer firefighters to assemble
- The prosecution played Corporal Fred Edward’s second interview with Andy McCauley, done on May 16, the day Riley Crossman’s body was found
- Riley Crossman’s manner and cause of death: Homicide due to unspecified means in a setting of decomposition (Body was partly skeletonized)
- Dr. Piotr Kubiczek and First Sergeant Sean Wolfe testified to Riley Crossman’s unzipped and unbuttoned shorts, and underwear
- Howard Ruark says he saw Andy McCauley take contractor trash bags. Prosecution says three contractor trash bags were found with Riley Crossman’s body
- The screws Andy McCauley used on a roofing project match the screws found in Andy McCauley’s tool belt, the screws found on the green Dodge truck, and the screws found near Riley Crossman’s body
- WATCH: 9/30/21 Teen Killed Murder Trial: Day 4
DAY 3 – 9/29/21
- The prosecution played a conversation between Chantel Oakley and Andy McCauley. Oakley previously testified that she secretly recorded the conversation
- Brandy Eggeman’s human decomposition dog alerted authorities to the odor of human decomposition on the back wheel well on the driver’s side of the green Dodge truck. The defense posited that her dog is trained to detect blood, tissue, or bone, but just because they can do this doesn’t mean they’ve found the previous presence of a deceased person
- Sgt. Janette See describes the discovery of Riley Crossman’s body – that she wasn’t wearing a bra, that her shirt was pulled over her head, that her blue jean shorts were either buttoned up or zipped.
- Sgt. See also mentioned a white chalky substance on Crossman’s right shoulder and on one of her legs
- Sgt. See also mentioned two roofing screws were found at the crime scene, similar to the ones found in the green Dodge truck
- WATCH: 9/29/21 Teen Killed Murder Trial: Day 3
DAY 2 – 9/28/21
- McCauley’s initial statements to police about his whereabouts the day Crossman disappeared are contradicted by witness testimony
- McCauley’s coworker, Johnnie Walter, says he and the defendant each did a line of cocaine in the green Dodge truck before going to the Red Hill subdivision to work
- Walter says McCauley left around 9:00 am, presumably to meet a girl. He testifies McCauley returned to work between 2:00-2:30 pm.
- WATCH: 9/28/21 Teen Killed Murder Trial: Day 2
DAY 1 – 9/27/21
In this still from video, defendant Andy McCauley, Jr. stands as the jury enters on Sept. 27, 2021. McCauley is accused of murdering 15-year-old Riley Crossman in 2019. (Court TV)
- The jury hears opening statements
- Riley Crossman’s mother, Chantel Oakley, testifies she returned home from work past 10:00pm on May 7, noticing all the downstairs lights were on. She also described McCauley as fake sleeping, saying his eyes didn’t look groggy but bright-eyed. She suspects he was using drugs at the time.
- Don Morgan, a former friend of Oakley and McCauley, testified about the morning of May 8, when McCauley frantically tried to contact him more than a dozen times within the timespan of 30 minutes. Captain Tim Stapleton states that McCauley said he wanted to hide at Morgan’s place because he (McCauley) was carrying drugs and didn’t want to get caught.
- WATCH: 9/27/21 Victim’s Mother Testifies in Teen Killed Murder Trial
Court TV field producer Adrienne Zulueta contributed to this report.
