KNOXVILLE, Tenn. A grieving family is asking everyone to take a moment on Wednesday to honor a teen killed in 2016. I want to hurt myself.' "I was very worried. Detectives asked Gaul about the gun, but he told them he didn't know where it was. But then after a while was when we got kind of concerned.. Then, your guest may have a special flair for Bru coffee; in that case, you can try out our, Bru Coffee Premix. ", Alex McCarty and Noah Walton are seen here during an interview with ABC News' "20/20.". Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Every day for the rest of his life, wherever that may be, he will have to live with that reality. Police said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation would lead the probe into the shooting, while the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed special agents from their Nashville office responded to assist law enforcement. Then we're all like, yes finally, it's happening. We're like, What we've been waiting for.. "He was a good kid who was dealt some bad cards in life.". When police started interviewing Emma Walkers friends and family members that day, Merritt said the same name kept coming up over and over again. Jamar Siler, 15, was charged with one count of first-degree murder and was being held in a juvenile court facility, police spokesman Darrell DeBusk said. Officials said evidence at the scene indicted Gaul fired shots into her bedroom from outside the house while she slept. "He would be off to the side, moping (and) saying things like, 'Oh, I just feel so depressed. One message in particular alarmed Walkers mother. ", "I just tried to wake my daughter for school," Jill Walker told the 911 operator. Thats because, we at the Vending Service are there to extend a hand of help. It was for my roommate. Either way, you can fulfil your aspiration and enjoy multiple cups of simmering hot coffee. Her sudden death initially seemed to be a mystery, but investigators ultimately discovered a bullet hole in the bedroom wall, suggesting that as the 16-year-old was sleeping, someone crept up outside the home and fired two bullets into the side of the house before sneaking away virtually unnoticed. When Gaul left the sheriff's office, McCarty said he started getting text messages from him, asking why he had told the police about the gun. The following morning, Walker went home. Knox County Sheriff's Deputy Nikki Bules, the lead forensic technician on the case, said the call originally came in as a possible suicide. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Young Williams Animal Shelter or to the Emma Walker Memorial Fund. He's like, 'I don't know what happened' I don't know how I got here. I'm making sure Emma is OK, and he's trying to talk to me, and I just said, You know you're not allowed, you need to leave. And he did leave.. "She just told me a bunch of cruel stuff, and she blocked his (friend's) number.". It appeared she had been shot from outside the Friends said they grew concerned because it became apparent to many of them that Gaul didnt want Walker to hang out with anyone but him. "He tried to have a tough exterior, like a shield, to fit in," his uncle Roger McDonald said. Knox County Sheriffs Office officials announced Wednesday that William Riley Gaul, a freshman wide receiver, was arrested in connection with the death of Emma Walker. It doesn't even need to be for anyone people know personally. It's been in his heart. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? But however people show kindness, and to whoever they share it with, they also have one additional request: to wear purple. Depending on your choice, you can also buy our Tata Tea Bags. TV networks and People magazine were among the news outlets nationally that reported and covered the case. Someone dropped me off here' I don't know what's happening' Where am I? She did become like her old self again, her father Mark Walker said. Emma texted with her friend Keegan Lyle about a homework assignment, then went to bed a little after midnight. ), Student killed in shooting at Knoxville school, Judge sets bond for 76-year-old woman accused of killing terminally ill husband. Gauls close friends, Alex and Noah, reached out the sheriffs office after Gaul had confided in them that he needed to dispose of his grandfathers gun and needed their help to toss the gun into the Tennessee River. Then on Friday, Nov. 18, 2016, Walker was allowed to attend a gathering at a friends house. The suspect and victim knew each other, Knox County School System Superintendent Bill McIntyre said. Emma, Im sorry for however I act, one message from Gaul said. I know. Walked into the bedroom photographed the bedroom," Bules said. If you don't comply I will hurt them.". Friends described him as a jokester, not the classic jock type. She was a junior at Central High School, a member of the She was a 16-year "He never intended to cause her harm, never intended to cause her death," Wesley Stone, Gaul's attorney, told "20/20" exclusively. Around 11:30 p.m. that night, her friend and classmate Zach Greene arrived at the house where they were hanging out and Walker pulled him aside. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Knoxville native and Central High School graduate Kelsea Ballerini released the music video to her hit song half of my hometown Thursday. WebEmma Walker, 16, was sleeping at home in her bed in North Knox County, Tennessee, in November 2016, when two shots were fired into her bedroom, one of which hit her in the In one tweet, he wrote, "Rest easy now sweetheart. WebKnoxville 0:04 0:57 The case of murdered Central High School cheerleader Emma Jane Walker will be profiled on "Dateline" tonight at 10 p.m. on NBC. She found out later that had never been the case, and Gaul came up with an unorthodox plan for both girls when it came time for prom. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. At his trial in May 2018, Gaul's defense attorney argued in court that he had never meant to kill Walker, but had fired the gun to try to scare her and get her attention. First published on November 23, 2016 / 3:49 PM. Her daughter was visibly shaken, and thought it could have been a burglar or maybe even a stalker. Jamarion Gillett, 15, previously attended the school in the fall of 2020 before he was killed in a separate incident on 9 March. "She's, she's 16.". A video circulating online appeared to show an individual in handcuffs being led away from the school. WebWhy Investigators Realized Emma Walkers Death Was Murder It had been just like any other night. "He got shot and started walking and he was holding his chest. Soon, the cheerleader's social media accounts were filled with pictures of a seemingly perfect pair paddle boarding together, embracing and taking silly selfies. "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 he was.". Emma and Gaul dated on and off for two years. He just wanted her to think that he was all she had, Jill said of the toxic relationship. "When I first got there, I started my photographs on the outside of the residence. So, find out what your needs are, and waste no time, in placing the order. A video appears to show an individual in handcuffs being led away from Austin-East Magnet High School in handcuffs in the wake of a mass shooting that left multiple people injured. She was a 16-year-old Central High School student, the same school he had graduated from in the spring. "And (Sunday night) I used one of my friends' phones on campus to call her. They started monitoring everywhere she went and, to their surprise, it seemed to work. "(I) said her name, didn't hear anything, bumped her leg, didn't hear anything," Jill Walker said. Her family describes her as a positive person who always saw the best in people. In the state of Tennessee, a first-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence. Emma and Gaul dated on and off for two years. "The girl, she texted me," Gaul told detectives. I thought it was weird.'". WebDateline NBC: Noises in the Night is an episode that chronicles the 2016 murder of Emma Walker, a popular and bubbly high school student who was found slain in her bed in her At this point, detectives said they knew from McCarty that Gaul had shown his friend his grandfather's gun. He made the comments as he began a briefing on education, and asked for prayers for the victims and their families. But I was just like, Oh he's shy it just seemed normal. Shes in fear, shes in a panic and so she reaches out to the one person that she thinks can help her which was Riley Gaul.. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Funeral services for slain Central High School cheerleader set for Saturday, National Park Service says never push a slower friend down when escaping a bear, Late power surge lifts No. [On] Sunday, we followed her to work, followed her back home to watch and make sure she was safe.. The funeral service will follow at 3 at Hill Cemetery. Emma Walker, a beautiful and vibrant cheerleader, had been killed by a gunshot wound to the head after two bullets had been fired into her bedroom from outside the family's single-story home. When news of her tragic death spread, Gaul was quick to memorialize his ex-girlfriend on Facebook. Friends and family crowded the schools football stands during a vigil at later that night. You already know how simple it is to make coffee or tea from these premixes. They understood the dangers and the concerns, but they wanted to do it.". When Gaul started college, Emma discovered he had been photographed with other girls and ended the relationship for good just before Thanksgiving. Investigators had their suspicions, too especially after a witness in the neighborhood told detectives she believed Gaul had been the man in black trying to terrorize Emma the day before her death but they didnt have enough to pin the murder on him until two unlikely heroes stepped forward with a new lead in the case. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. on demand Dec 09, 2022 2:00 PM PST. Friends and family of Emma Walker are invited to Central Baptist Church of Fountain City. The Friday before Thanksgiving as Emma was at a party with friends, she got a disturbing text message telling her that Gaul had been kidnapped. Our student was a wonderful young lady, a cheerleader and honor student with a promising future, whose life was cut too short, too soon, Central High School Principal Michael Reynolds said in a statement Wednesday released to the paper. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Three years after his trial, the 22-year-old Knoxville man convicted of shooting his ex-girlfriend to death as she slept sought a new trial, but was denied Friday. How'd I get here?' "(On Fridays) everybody's excited at school to see how well we do. Either way, the machines that we have rented are not going to fail you. Gaul said he thought he had spent Friday night at his friend Noah Waltons house. In text messages, Gaul asked his friends not to speak to the police anymore. She loved just being part of crowd appeal.. Thinking Gaul was lying to authorities, Walton and McCarty then collaborated with police to help them lay a trap. I know I called 911. Should you be?, the detective responded. Students began to gather around the victim, said freshman Jared Wohlford, 14. He was just so scared of these people who were out to get him, were out to get Emma.". Maryvilles football roster indicates Gaul graduated from Central High. Siler will be represented by the public defender's office. "I told him, 'Obviously not and not to ever ask me anything like that again.' Holding his head like he got hit upside the head kind of. "She's just like, 'We just broke up. Greene said that Walker thought it was one of Gaul's friends playing a prank on her, but that she texted back, threatening to call the police. The school has a recent history of gun violence among its current and former students. KANSAS CITY, Mo. It sounded like someone was in the house and opened a door and slammed it, he told Dateline: Secrets Uncovered." Maryville College is cooperating fully with the Knox County Sheriffs Department in this investigation. Once there, Gaul said, he broke down and cried for "two, three hours" in his car over breaking up with Walker. The 16-year-old was shot in Mardi Growl to close several roads in downtown Knoxville on Saturday, What you need to know about paying to park in the Great Smoky Mountains, Severe storms move through East Tennessee, Wednesday marks Emma Walker Day, honoring teen killed by ex-boyfriend in 2016, Judge who presided over Eric Boyd, A.J. Knoxville police confirmed that the man reportedly armed was killed in a shootout at Austin-East Magnet High School around 3.15 pm local time. Boy next door, her mother Jill Walker said. The Knoxville County Sheriffs Department issued a statement to local broadcaster WBLT saying there was no active threat at Austin-East Magnet High School following a mass shooting that left multiple people wounded, including a Knoxville Police Department officer. Police in Knoxville issued a tweet saying they have established a reunification site at a baseball field behind Austin-East Magnet High School in the wake of a shooting that left multiple people, including a police officer, injured. "Consistent with her reaching out to Riley regarding the events Saturday morning he was attempting to get her to ask him for help again, sort of to be her protector. WebKnoxville is also the site of Tennessees last fatal shooting of a student inside of a school. Investigators said that on November 21, 2016, Gaul fired a gun into Walker's bedroom while she was asleep, killing the Central High School cheerleader. For every nasty message Gaul sent Walker, there was also a quick apology. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Were extremely proud of all the investigators and all the work but were almost more proud of Noah and Alex in this, Knox County Sheriffs Office Major Mike MacLean said, calling the teens the heroes of the investigation. He was very likable., I thought he was a very nice looking young man, well-mannered, her father Mark Walker added. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. But, as he was describing this in the interrogation room, Merritt said Gaul was "emotionless. It's not just bruises, it's emotional and controlling. Investigators say William Riley Gaul killed the Central High School cheerleader . Now that you have the Water Cooler of your choice, you will not have to worry about providing the invitees with healthy, clean and cool water. She loved leading and she loved football games. A jury found Riley Gaul guilty of Emma Walker's murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison. Walker was a student at Central High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she was reportedly a cheerleader. Blah, blah, blah, blah, said Gaul's friend Alex McCarty. The Knox County Sheriff's Office reported that Walker had broken off a relationship with Gaul two weeks before they said he fired a 9 mm handgun into Walker's bedroom. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Jill Walker said Gaul would always comment on what her daughter wore, telling her what she should and shouldnt wear, to the point where she said she ended up saying something to Emma about it.
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