Murder of Emma Walker

Emma Walker Emma Jane Walker born on March 20, 2000, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to her parents Jill, an elementary school teacher, Walker had a younger brother. In the fall of 2014, she attended Central High School. When Walker started her freshman year, she joined the cheerleading squad. Walker was an honor student and, Emma Walker was a 16-year-old high school junior at the time of the murder. Walker planned to study neonatal nursing in college. Riley Gaul was a 18-year-old former freshman at that time. == Relationship with Gaul ==

In the fall of 2014, Walker was a 14-year-old freshman when she met Gaul, who was a 16-year-old junior student. Although Walker didn't like it, she let it go. Walker's parents considered the relationship toxic. In October 2016, they grounded Walker and banned her from contacting or continuing the relationship with Gaul. According to Walker's friends, she was angry and frightened by his deceit. Despite Gaul's continued insistence that he had been kidnapped, Walker did not believe him. Two nights before the incident, a man dressed entirely in black tried to scare Walker. == Murder ==

On November 18, 2016, Gaul stole a 9mm Glock from under the seat of his grandfather's vehicle. Gaul's roommate said he had been out all night until he returned at approximately 4:45 a.m. In the morning, at approximately 6 a.m., Walker's mother went to wake her up. When she arrived, she found that her daughter was not breathing and called 911. == Investigation ==

That morning, the Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched to the Walker home after a 911 call reported a possible suicide. When detectives questioned Gaul, he denied showing his grandfather's gun to his friend and claimed he did not have the gun in his possession. During the meeting, Gaul denied killing Walker and suggested that McCarty and Walton tell the detectives they were under the influence of alcohol. Gaul then proposed going to the Bluffs, a wooded area near to a river. They stopped at Gaul's stepfather's house, where Gaul had hidden the gun in the basement, but did not let them see it. Gaul had hidden gloves, trash bags, tennis shoes, black tape, and black clothing inside the same trash bag that contained the gun. The items in the bag were believed to be the same black clothing worn by Gaul. Gaul planned to get rid of the gun so that the authorities could not link it to the murder. After seeing the gun, McCarty exclaimed, "Oh my God! That is a real gun," while Walton notified the authorities. A minute later, Gaul was arrested. == Criminal proceedings ==

Gaul was indicted with first-degree murder, felony murder, tampering with evidence, stalking, reckless endangerment, possessing a firearm during a dangerous felony and theft between $500 and $1,000, in relation with the killing of Emma Walker. Trial The trial started on April 30, 2018, On May 2, five friends of Walker testified about the day Gaul lied about being kidnapped. They also mentioned that Walker had sent them a text shortly before her killing, describing a man dressed in black who had been near her home. In the text, Walker said she was scared, and thought she was going to die. The defense attorney, Stone, did not deny that Gaul shot Walker, but argued that Gaul was trying to win her back as part of a series of ploys, which included faking his own kidnapping and attempting to pose as Walker's "rescuer". Conviction On May 8, the jury found Gaul guilty of all charges. Judge McGee immediately sentenced Gaul to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 51 years. Post-conviction In 2021, Gaul requested a new trial based on claims of insufficient evidence, but the motion was denied. Gaul then appealed to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. In February 2023, the appellate judge ruled to uphold his murder conviction and modified the felony theft conviction. == Legacy ==

The Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) and the cheerleading squad at Central High School established a scholarship in Emma Walker's name called the "Emma Walker Memorial Scholarship". In Knox County, a dog park was named in Walker's honor: the Emma Jane Walker Memorial Dog Park. The East Tennessee Children's Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit dedicated a room in Walker's honor. == See also ==