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McCauley gets life without parole in Riley Crossman's death
Judge imposes maximum sentences in Riley Crossman's death following mother's plea...
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Following an impassioned plea from Riley Crossman's mother, Andy J. McCauley Jr. was sentenced Thursday to the maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole in the 2019 death of the 15-year-old Berkeley Springs High School freshman, according to Morgan County Prosecuting Attorney Dan James.
Circuit Judge Debra McLaughlin also sentenced McCauley to consecutive terms of 15 years to life on the charge of death of a child by custodian by child abuse and one to five years for concealment of a deceased human body, James said.
McCauley was found guilty following a seven-day jury trial. The jury had recommended life without parole.
Riley Crossman, 15, was found dead along the side of a Berkeley County, W.Va., road in May 2019.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
James said he was satisfied with the sentence from a legal standpoint.
"West Virginia doesn't have a death penalty," he said. "If there was ever a case to bring it back, this would be a good one for it."
Although the sentence doesn't allow for parole, McLaughlin ordered McCauley to register as a child abuser, placed him on 50 years of supervised probation and imposed a $5,000 fine, James said.
Commenting on the judge's decision to run the sentences consecutively instead of concurrently, James noted that concurrent sentences are usually imposed when there is some mitigating factor that might make some form of mercy appropriate.
"There's no reason for it in this case," he said.
Crossman's mother, Chantel Oakley, had asked the judge to impose the maximum possible penalty, saying she would never see her daughter graduate from high school, get married or hold a child of her own, according to James.
Riley Crossman
Oakley also noted that McCauley remained silent and watched while she was in agony during the nine days that she was searching for her daughter when he knew exactly what happened to her, said Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Courtney Moore, who worked with James on the case.
Crossman’s decomposed body was found May 16, 2019, in the 5500 block of Tuscarora Pike in Berkeley County. It is believed she was killed between May 7 and May 8 in 2019.
In closing arguments at the trial, James referenced a text message Crossman sent to her boyfriend the night of May 7, 2019.
“This is a voice from beyond the grave,” he said. “This is all you need: 'Andy’s in my room. I’m scared.’”
When it was noticed that Crossman was missing, her mom began to panic, especially since her daughter was continually texting her.
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Judge imposes maximum sentences in Riley Crossman's death following mother's plea...
BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Following an impassioned plea from Riley Crossman's mother, Andy J. McCauley Jr. was sentenced Thursday to the maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole in the 2019 death of the 15-year-old Berkeley Springs High School freshman, according to Morgan County Prosecuting Attorney Dan James.
Circuit Judge Debra McLaughlin also sentenced McCauley to consecutive terms of 15 years to life on the charge of death of a child by custodian by child abuse and one to five years for concealment of a deceased human body, James said.
McCauley was found guilty following a seven-day jury trial. The jury had recommended life without parole.
Riley Crossman, 15, was found dead along the side of a Berkeley County, W.Va., road in May 2019.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
James said he was satisfied with the sentence from a legal standpoint.
"West Virginia doesn't have a death penalty," he said. "If there was ever a case to bring it back, this would be a good one for it."
Although the sentence doesn't allow for parole, McLaughlin ordered McCauley to register as a child abuser, placed him on 50 years of supervised probation and imposed a $5,000 fine, James said.
Commenting on the judge's decision to run the sentences consecutively instead of concurrently, James noted that concurrent sentences are usually imposed when there is some mitigating factor that might make some form of mercy appropriate.
"There's no reason for it in this case," he said.
Crossman's mother, Chantel Oakley, had asked the judge to impose the maximum possible penalty, saying she would never see her daughter graduate from high school, get married or hold a child of her own, according to James.
Riley Crossman
Oakley also noted that McCauley remained silent and watched while she was in agony during the nine days that she was searching for her daughter when he knew exactly what happened to her, said Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Courtney Moore, who worked with James on the case.
Crossman’s decomposed body was found May 16, 2019, in the 5500 block of Tuscarora Pike in Berkeley County. It is believed she was killed between May 7 and May 8 in 2019.
In closing arguments at the trial, James referenced a text message Crossman sent to her boyfriend the night of May 7, 2019.
“This is a voice from beyond the grave,” he said. “This is all you need: 'Andy’s in my room. I’m scared.’”
When it was noticed that Crossman was missing, her mom began to panic, especially since her daughter was continually texting her.
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