'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The sudden disappearance of the 15-year-old Berkeley Springs High School student, Riley Crossman, on May 8, 2019, led to an extensive search to locate the missing teenager. Crossman mostly lived with her mother, Chantel Oakley and her boyfriend, Andy McCauley and unexpectedly went missing from their home.
According to Metro News, Crossman met with her tragic fate as she was suffocated to death by her stepfather in the early hours of May 8, 2019. The Murder in the Heartland episode titled Something Happened to Her explores the death of Riley Crossman, whose heavily decomposed body was recovered from an embankment near Tuscarora Pike in Berkeley County. The synopsis reads,
"Popular high school student Riley Crossman, age 15, disappears in 2019, igniting a statewide search in West Virginia. Investigators discover her body, and they have their hands full when the students and residents of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, become suspects."
Who was Riley Crossman? Details explored
Riley Grace Crossman was born on December 22, 2003, in Martinsburg, West Virginia, to Lance Crossman and Chantel Oakley. She was the eldest of the four siblings in the family - one sister, Jade and two brothers, Ryder and Ryker. Crossman shared a close bond with her brothers and sisters from a young age.
At the age of 15, Riley was a freshman at Berkeley Springs High School and was dating one of her schoolmates, Haydn. Her parents had divorced, and she spent more time with her mother, Chantel, and her boyfriend, Andy McCauley. Her mother reportedly worked two jobs.
Riley Crossman was described as a beautiful, innocent soul with a laugh that would fill the room. According to her family,
"She was a natural artist, a talented dancer, and had the voice of an angel. She was helpful, caring, intelligent, stubborn, and as dramatic as teenage girls come."
What happened to Riley Crossman?
Riley Crossman returned from school on May 7, 2019, and found her mother resting on the couch, feeling under the weather. However, Chantel Oakley left for her second work shift, when Riley spent some moments with her grandmother before heading to her room upstairs. Chantel reportedly returned around 10 pm, found the door to Riley's room shut and assumed she had called an early night.
The next morning, Chantel woke up and found Riley's room empty. She assumed Riley Crossman had left for school early that day. However, as she discovered Riley's absence from school that day, concerns grew. Moreover, the texts and calls to Riley's phone went unanswered. Chantel Oakley finally reported her daughter missing on May 8, 2019.
The Morgan County Police Department tried to ping her cell phone tower but found it to be dead. They turned up at the house a day later, on May 9, 2019, for investigation. A look through Riley's room reportedly revealed a mess larger than the morning before. There were traces of blood and saliva observed on the comforter and pillow.
Riley Crossman's phone records revealed the last text message she sent to her boyfriend, Haydn, which read,
"I'm scared, babe."
Haydn was on Facetime when Riley informed him of her stepfather, Andy McCauley, entering her room. She had tried Facetiming him around 5 am before she was officially considered missing.
Was Riley Crossman ever found?
The missing teenager's body was found in an advanced state of decomposition eight days later, on May 16, 2019, following an extensive manhunt with helicopters and over 300 volunteers. According to West Virginia Metro News, Riley was found over an embankment near Tuscarora Pike in Berkeley County.
The level of decomposition made it difficult to determine the cause of Riley's death. The West Virginia Metro News reported,
"She was wearing one shoe that was later identified as hers. Another was found within the trash bag with her body. She was wearing red underwear and blue denim shorts which West Virginia State Police Sgt. Jeanette See said, “weren’t buttoned and weren’t zipped.” She also testified a white powdery substance was found on various parts of the victim’s body."
The body was identified as Riley Crossman with the help of dental records. Her stepfather, Andy McCauley, was convicted of first-degree murder, among other charges, on October 5, 2021.
Season 6 episode 5 of the show airs on December 13, 2023, at 9 pm EST on Investigation Discovery.
