I heard a noise. It sounded like someone was in the house. I opened up her door to her bedroom and i thought, i am hearing things. Your instincts were right. Something happened in the middle of the night. You think your child is safe in your home sleeping. She was just 16. Emma, the honor student, cheerleader, volunteer. She could get along with anybody. Always so like kindhearted and sweet. She wanted to be a nurse and she had a plan. Reporter she went to sleep one sunday night and never woke up. I saw a 16yearold female laying in her bed. There was a bullet hole in the wall. She has been shot . Someone fired a shot from outside of the residence. Was emma a target . That weekend she seen a mysterious figure in black. She was shaking. Reporter now, two brave friends set out on a secret mission. Could they help catch her killer . You are trying to bring down a murder suspect. I just knew it was something that had to be done. This is insane. Everybody put your hands out the of the vehicle now. It all became a lot more real. Reporter hello, welcome to dateline. Emma walker was a spirited teenager with a nack of stirring up fun. Pretty and smart. But after her death the police had a tough investigation. Whoever shot her it would take a bold plan to catch her killer. Here is noises in the night. When the ought Imchill Seeps into the Community North of knoxville, tennessee, hundreds of School Students are drawn to the blaze of friday night lights to cheer on their hometown heroes, the bobcats. She was the friday nightlight that shown brightest of them all. Emma walker, a Bobcats Cheerleader since her freshman year. She was a really good cheerleader. Some would go through the motions and but emma put her own sparkle. They said their friend could be sassy. She would say, i am kind of a big deal. I am saying she said it with a hint of sarcastic. She is a super pretty cheerleader, but then meet her, she is the nicest person. Reporter they were her long time School Friends once you got to know her she is a downtoearth person and sweet. She had a smile that could light up a room. A big beautiful smile. Emmas parents say that smile was the hallmark her playful personality. She liked to play jokes on me. Grabbing my iphone and taking selfees selfie. Reporter she wanted to be a nurse. When we would talk about the different professions and get to the ones about babies, she would say that is what i want to do. Reporter no surprise she was noticed by boys at school. One boy she definitely noticed back. That is really all she liked talk about at first. Just like, he is super cute. Reporter he, was riley. Two years older than emma, popular, too. A stand out Wide Receiver on the bobcats football team. Did you think riley would make it to the nfl. If there was anybody to do it was going to be riley. Reporter he was not just a high school jock. He was active at church and loved star wars movies. Started out as a nerdy guy, that is how we met, obviously. Obviously [ laughter ] and then later in high school he got more into football but he kept with his nerd roots. He was really funny. I think that is why emma fell for him in the first place. They were both super goofy. She had a big crush on him. She did. Reporter just one problem. Riley already had a girlfriend but he broke up with her to date emma. Things got serious between the two of them . Dwrai. Reporter but as the months went by, it became Clear Riley The StarFootball Player was also, well, a player. It turned out his ex was not really an ex after all. He promised his Ex Girlfriend he would take her to prom that year and she would go to prom the next year. She let it go . Yeah. I guy with two girls on the go that is not cool. No t is not cool and she was young and, had a mind of her own and did not want us to voice our opinion about our concerns. Reporter emmas determination caused a lot of tension between her and her parents how does it work when you are trying to be good parents and your daughter has that strong personality. It is difficult. Very difficult. [ laughter ] she just was stubborn and thought her way was the right way. She wanted to learn for herself. Reporter emma and riley dated on and off for two years, riley graduated and went to college half an hour away. They tried to keep it going but emma Saw Snap Chats of riley with other girls on camp us and she broke up with him for good. The tension at home evaporated. It must of felt so good to be the happy family again . It is. The whole household was different. The household was not calm for very long. On november 20th, 2016, a sunday, emma went for ice cream with her dad and planned to get up early for school the next morning. I told her, good night, love you. Going to bed. During the middle of the night i, i heard a loud noise. What kind of noise was it . It sounded like someone was in the house and opened the door and slammed it. And i heard it again. Mark jumped out of bed to check on emma and her brother. I opened up her door to her bedroom and i stared at her for probably 15 or 20 seconds and, she was just lying asleep. In her bed. And, i shut the door and went to my sons bedroom and he was in the bed asleep. So i thought, i am hearing things. So, i checked the doors around the house and went back to bed. Reporter in the morning, emmas mom woke up early. I went in to wake her up and i could not wake her up. What was going on in your mind. I can not recall a lot of it. I just know that i checked for a pulse. And there was no pulse . No pulse. No. Emmas Younger Brother Evan rushed in. Poor evan i am sure that is something. I wish he never had to experience it. It is like a nightmare. [crying] reporter jill calmed 911. I just tried to wake up my daughter for school and she has no pulse. She is nonresponsive . What had happened to emma walker . [crying] coming up. The investigation begins. I saw a 16yearold female laying in her bed with a small amount of blood in her pillow. People thought she might of overdosed on something. They thought she ingested poison or whatever this is a mystery right now. It is all a mystery. When dateline continues a when dateline continues copd hasnt been pretty. Its tough to breathe and tough to keep wondering if this is as good as it gets. But trelegy has shown me that theres still beauty and breath to be had. Because with three medicines in one inhaler, trelegy keeps my airways open and prevents future flareups. And with one dose a day, trelegy improves Lung Function so i can breathe more freely all day and night. Trelegy wont replace a Rescue Inhaler for sudden breathing problems. Tell your doctor if you have a Heart Condition or high Blood Pressure before taking it. Do not take trelegy more than prescribed. 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The only Migraine Medication that helps treat and prevent, all in one. To those with migraine, i see you. For the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura and the preventive treatment of Episodic Migraine in adults. Dont take if allergic to nurtec odt. Allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. Most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. Its time we all shine. Talk to a Healthcare Provider about nurtec odt from pfizer. Talk to a Healthcare Provider monday, november 21, 2016 was supposed to be a regular school morning. Instead, First Responders were arriving at the Walker Family. Monday, november 21st, 2016, was supposed to be a regular school morning, instead, First Responders were arriving at the Walker Family home and word that something horrible had happened to emma was tearing through town. Friends calling friends. She was just balling. I was like, okay. You need to breathe, you need to calm down, what is wrong. She said emma is dead. What are you talking about . It did not register in my mind like. Not our emma, no. Reporter did not seem real to nathan, either i was like, yeah, that is my best friend but she did not pass away. It just hit me. I started balling. Reporter emmas ex boyfriend was in college. He grieved on social media how much he loved her and will misher. She does not deserve this. She is in a better place now. Tell god about your verse. Did their hearts go out to riley, he lost a lot of people commented i am so sorry. Prayers for you. Still, no one knew, yet, how emma died. What are some of the rumors now floating around on social media . About what happened to emma. People had thought she might of overdosed on something. People said brain bleed. Reporter the biggest one that upset us the most were people who did not know her saying she killed herself. Reporter was there and part of you that was confused and thinking, maybe it is possible. You know that she has not survived whatever has happened but you dont know what. It is all a mystery. Investigators arrive with sketchy details from First Responders they thought, originally, it was a suicide, she ingested something. A poison or whatever. Reporter knox county major was assigned to investigate the case with major climb detective merit. I saw a 16yearold teenager liing in her bed with a small amount of blood on her pillow. Some people confused that with that she gotten sick or had ingested something and caused her to vomit. When the detective looked closer he saw something unusual. First responders did not immediately see the hole in the wall. Reporter there was a hole in the wall next to emmas bed. A bullet hole. Only a little blood visible on the pillow, when the investigators investigated her head there was a small entry wound. So she has been shot . Yes, maam in her own bed. The bullet struck her just left and above the ear. It was a fatal wound. Reporter she had to have been shot then through the wall . Yes. It was obvious someone had fired a shot from outside of the residence into the residents striking her in the head. Reporter this is not the kind of neighborhood with drive by shootings, right . Yes, maam, it is a low crime rate area. Reporter as the detectives processed what is now a crime scene, they found more clues as to what might of happened we go outside of the residence. That is where we determined that there was a second shot that had been fired through the inwall part of the house and there in the walkers yard. We find a shell casing, a spent casing that had been fired and then as we again work around we find a spent casing and a live round. Reporter when emmas parents learned what happened they barely had been taken it . They told us she had been shot. It is unthinkable. Reporter emmas father recalled the noises that he hard during the poit knowing those noises that i heard were gunshots and they sounded nothing like gunshots. But your instincts were right. Something happened in the middle of night. You think your child is safe in your home, sleeping. Reporter but who would want to kill this sweet popular girl whose goal in life with to care for newborn babies . It turned out the last few days of emmas walkers life was anything but normal and might be key to the unraveling the mystery. Coming up. She sees a person dressed all in black. A mysterious figure at emmas door this person comes to the front door and starts to try to get in the house. Turning the doorknob, she is in fear. In panic. I would have been terrified. Absolutely. When dateline continues ter absolutely. When dateline continues 3 out of 4 people achieved 90 clearer skin at 4 months. And skyrizi is just 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses. 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Emma walker was shot dead in her own bed. At 16 years old, she had her whole life ahead of her. Emma walker was shot dead in her own bed. At 16 years old she had her whole life ahead of her. All of the great things she would have done. Yeah. Proms, graduations and things that we never get to see, you know. Getting married, having kids. Reporter as emmas family began imagining life without her the police were focused on finding her killer. They were talking to her family and friends about the days before the shooting. That is a lot of activity in a period of two days unexplained. Reporter it was the weekend before thanksgiving. Friday night emma and her group were celebrating a football win at a friends house. Emma received a message from an unknown number. The message said something about riley, he had been taken. Someone has riley . Yes. Someone kidnapped him. Reporter riley, kidnapped . The strange messages kept coming. Then, emmas phone rang and riley was on the line help me, help me, help me, emma you can hear riley on the call, calling for help . Yes. Emma and her friends rushed out of the house and there was riley. He had his hands on his head, he looked confused. I saw her yelling at him. She was really angry. Reporter emma was furious, she and her friends thought the whole thing was some kind of prank. We were all, oh, it is far fetched for him to be kidnapped. We did not think twice about it. If the kidnapping was a joke what happened the next morning was no laughing matter. Friends said that saturday she drove herself home from her friends house. As she was pulling in approaching her residence she sees a person dressed all in black and as she gets closer, you know, he gets his hood up and puts the glasses on. Emma was texting her friends as she gets in the residence this person comes to the front door and starts trying to get in the house, turning the door knob. She is in a fear, she is in a panic. She reaches out to the one person that she thinks can help her that was riley. Emma just broken up with riley and angry about what she thought was that strange Kidnapping Stunt the night before. Still, she texted him this. I hate you but i need you right now. She face time called him and asked him to come over. Why do you think she reached out to him given that they had just broken up . I think he was a sense of security to her. He was a protector. From other things. Reporter riley searched the house and neighborhood. Saw no signs of anyone. Neither called the police. But, now, the detectives were investigating emmas murder. They discovered Surveillance Footage from a neighbors house and there he was. So, this is the mysterious man in black . At that point it is. Were you able to see a face . No. A possible intruder . An attempted kidnap something what was going on . The Police Needed to talk to riley right away. They asked him for details about the kidnapping and he insisted it really happened. It was traumatizing. I did not know what to make of it. I went up to my step dads house. I pulled into the driveway and a van pulled in the semicircle. And these two guys were, like, walking across the street and next thing i know, one of them grabbed my bag and the other one is around the corner and they just like, put their hand over my face and just took me to their van or whatever. Why would someone do that to you . I genuinely have no idea. They did ask me, they were like, um, you know, like, who would you want to talk to for the last time, i started freaking out and i said emma. They made me call emma. She thought i was playing a crank on her. Emma did not buy the story. She was genuinely terrified when she called him the next day about the plan in black. She face time called me. Crying, freaking out. Okay, give me a minute i will check it out. That is the only person riley could think of who would want to harm emma. The only thing that i thought of who was at her house, that was the first thing that i thought of. Reporter riley told the police even though they were broken up he still cared for her. In fact, they spoke on the phone sunday night. In the hours before emma was shot. I just told her how much i loved her and, and that i was sorry that she did not want what we had anymore. She did not care about the relationship, she cared about me, she loved me but did not want to be with me anymore. Reporter he spent the rest of the night on campus 25 miles away crying about the break up. I sat in the parking lot looking at the pictures of us. He woke up to people texting and calling with their condolences. I was like what are you talking about . Did you not hear what happened. No, what are you talking about . Riley, the heartbroken ex, now lost the love of his life for good. But, this pair of seasoned investigators had their radar up. Did you start seeing more of his personality you can see he had to have her. Coming up. A closer look at that mysterious man in black. She had actually seen the man in black. She recognized him by his build, by his gait, the way he walked, carried himself. Who was he . When dateline continues el. Who was he . When dateline continues even a little blurry vision can distort things. And something serious may be behind those itchy eyes. Up to 50 of people with graves could develop a different condition called thyroid eye disease, which should be treated by a different doctor. See an expert. Find a ted Eye Specialist at isitted. Com [ ] your skin is everchanging, take care of it with gold bonds age renew formulations of 7 moisturizers and 3 vitamins. For all your skins, gold bond. Sup . Who are you . Ofim your inners achild. Get in. Listen, what you really need in life is some freakin torque. What . 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It was part of a weekend storm system that saw over 100 tornadoes touched down across the midwest. For now, back to dateline. Welcome back to dateline. Who shot emma walker the day before she died a Menissing Man Dressed In Black showed up at her house triggering a panicked phone call to her exboyfriend. Riley told the police by the time he got there the man was gone. Now, the detectives are about to discover something that riley did not tell them and it will send the investigation into overdrive. Once again, here is noises in the night. Emma walker had been murdered. All over twitter, riley was the grieving ex. What did he change the bio to . Living every day through emma walker. Now, her friends were looking back. They remembered a High School Boyfriend who was jealous, possessive, even obsessed. He started to get very kind of controlling of her, like where she was, what she did, if she wanted to hang out with our friend who is like, you are not going. He did not want her to hang out with people. It was just him and her. And if emma went somewhere without him. He would text her 40 to 100 times. He was just blowing up her phone, emma, talk to me, text me back, call me. Yes. Call her 20 or 30 times. Emmas parents throughout the relationship was toxic. They had seen their daughter change. The new personality with riley in the picture was not one that you recognized no, her fun loving selfwas no longer, very closed off. More in her room. Angry. Angry at us. Was it like her spark had been extinguished . Yes. Her parents said riley seemed intent on driving a wedge between emma and her family. He could tell her she really didnt have parents, barely had a brother. I think he just wanted her to think that was, he was all she had. A Nightmare Situation for a parent yes. Reporter jill and mark had always been involved parents. Monitoring their kids social media and cell phones. Even had a tracker on emmas car. When things got bad with riley they tried to limit emmas contact with him. But he always seemed to find a way around their rules. He would show up to our church because they could not tell him to leave or a Basketball Game because it is public event going on. So they can not tell him he should not be there. Reporter and when emma finally broke up with him a few weeks before she died. Even his Close Friends seemed like it was like he was unraveling. Were you worried about him . Yeah, very, very. I think this is when we started to see like, if he wanted to do something like, he could. He seemed unstable to you . Yeah. Reporter now that emma was dead her friends were not buying his sad messages on social media. What are you thinking when you are reading rileys post. He is trying to cover up. Did you think he did it or Something Else . I thought he had something to do with it. The police were thinking the same thing as they listened to stories about emma and riley. Based on my experience as a detective it was abusive, not physically but emotional and psychological abuse. The police were skeptical of Everything Riley said. Did not believe the kidnapping story. They talked to one of emmas friend they were more suspicious. The friend was certain that riley was the man in black. She had actually seen the man in black and believe today to be riley and recognized him by his build, his gait, the way he walked and carried himself. During the interview the police were closely watching riley. They noted how they referred to emma in the strangest way. The girl, she, she texted me. Which girl . The one that passed away. What is her name . Emma now this is someone he professed his love to and gone on social media and spoke out about how she is his everything and all of that. But yet when he goes to talk to me in the interview, he refers to her as the girl. How did you get from there. As the interview progressed the police tried to nail down rileys whereabouts, he stuck to the same story, he was at his college. Half an hour away. I remember getting back in my dorm at 4 30 and my roommate being awake because he asked me i didnt was getting in so late. As they saw riley they were more and more skeptical. I hope to god i am not a suspect in her death. Based on my experience it was phony. I would hurt myself did you shoot into emmas house . No, sir. Riley was now the Prime Suspect but they had to let him go. They did not have enough evidence. And there was a missing piece to the muzzle. Where puzzle. Riley is about to become the target of a secret operation. Coming up. They set up a Listening Device in the car the police could hear you but you could not hear them . This is insane. Could these two friends find that missing gun and the killer . This potentially can be very dangerous. Absolutely. You will have two boys in a car with a guy that is believed to have already killed one person with a Murder Weapon. This is a huge dangerous thing. When date line continues da when date line continues symptoms can sometimes take you out of the moment. Now theres skyrizi, so you can show up with clearer skin. And show it off. Nothing is everything with skyrizi, you could take each step with 90 clearer skin. And if you have psoriatic arthritis, skyrizi can help you get moving with less joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue. And skyrizi is just 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. Serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. Tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine, or plan to. Thanks to skyrizi, theres nothing like clearer skin and less joint pain, and that means everything. Nothing is everything ask your doctor about how skyrizi could help with your skin or joint symptoms. 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The monthly oneanddone you want. Nexium 24hr prevents Heartburn Acid for twice as long as pepcid. Get allday and allnight heartburn Acid Prevention with just one pill a day. Choose Acid Prevention. Choose nexium. Its started. Its. The side hug. Tween milestones like this may start at age 9. Hpv vaccination a type of Cancer Prevention against certain hpvrelated cancers, can start then too. For most, hpv clears on its own. But for others, it can cause certain cancers later in life. Youre welcome now, as the dad cab, its my cue to help protect them. Embrace this phase. Help protect them in the next. Ask their doctor today about hpv vaccination. The day before emma help pwalker was killed, next. Riley gauls grandfather called police about a handgun he owned. The esday before emma walke was killed, rileys grandfather called the police about a handgun he owned. He files a report that the gun was stolen. That missing gun was a problem for riley, too. He lived with his grandpa and the gun was the same caliber as the one used to kill emma. The police did not think that was a coincidence. Did he express that he knew where the gun was . Or did he completely deny . He completely denied everything relevant to the gun. Reporter and after his denials to the police, riley reached out to his Close Friends, alex and noah. Since his break up with emma, riley was leaning on them for support. What did he day . He was torn up, i tried to spend time with him, be there if he needed. He would never hurt emma is what he said, had nothing to do with the shooting but he did have his grandpas gun. They will find a way to put this on me if they find the gun. Can you guys help me get rid of this . The boys were willing to Comfort Riley but not help get rid of evidence in a murder investigation. Instead, they called the lieutenant. It is amazing they called. Absolutely, absolutely. They could of went on living their lives, minding their business. Reporter riley told his friends he planned to go to the bluffs, high above the Tennessee River ands to the gun into the water. The police hatched a plan. A bold and risky sting operation. Have alex and Noah Go With Riley and the moment they see the gun signal to the detectives and they would scoop in. It could potentially be dangerous . Absolutely. Two boys in a car with a guy believed to have already killed a person with a Murder Weapon and this is a huge dangerous thing. Reporter dangerous . For sure. And then, the detectives played it more complicated. They decided to secretly record the whole thing. Theyet up a Listening Device in the car itself. My car. Had a little bit in the cut of my jacket which sucked because i could not take off my jacket the whole time. Then you got the key fob as well. The police could hear you but you could not hear them . Yeah. Everything came together with lightning speed. Just hours after calling the police. 18yearolds alex and noah were wired up. What did your parents think about this . You are vulnerable. My parents had just moved. To north carolina. I was living in tennessee on my own. I did not. You did not tell your parents. I didnt. [ laughter ] the plan hinged on the boys texting a secret word without tipping off riley. The pressure was intense. [beep] this is insane. Riley came over to noahs house. The mission was underway. I know that she really loved and cared about me a lot. We spent two years another. The police were nearby. Listening in. As instructed. The boys tried to be natural. I am sorry about emma my want to be so upset but i cant because i am more worry about being arrested for a murder that i never commit never in my life would i kill somebody that i love that much. Love you, bro. It sucks you have to deal with all of this, man. Riley had no clue about the sting. He had faith in his friends i am trusting you guys with my life. There is 70 years in jail if i get convicted of something that i did not do. Why cant you just give them the gun . Just, it just needs to be gone for whatever reason it just needs to be gone. You dont have to come with me if you dont want to. I mean, i got you back if it is in the Tennessee River they will never find it. The boys headed out. The first stop, rileys stepfathers house where he hidden the gun. He came out holding a plastic garbage bag. The detectives were still tracking the boys closely or trying to. It was kind of a crazy part here. We have detectives watching them, they leave out from the step dads and at some point we lose them. We lose sight of the vehicle, we lost the wire. Is that a heartbeating moment. Yes. We want to track them realtime, keep up with them. The police did find them again. In time to see the boys make an odd detour. On the way to the river they stopped for drivethru fast food. Yeah, i need a Cajun Chick Wean two sides of hush puppies with chili and cheese on it and a large dr. Pepper. No. Oh, my god, try it. You are in the middle of the operation you go for chili cheese fries, why . The whole time we were saying goodbye to one of my best friends. It was almost like comforting to kind of have it be like it was before. They got to the bluffs around 11 00 and pulled into the complex parking lot. Alex knew the Security Code for the gate. He used to make deliveries there. Then, the big moment, alex and noah will never forget it. Riley pulled the gun out of the bag. Oh, my going. Noah texted the detectives, they were supposed to pounce. But 30 seconds passed and then a minute. No police. Alex saw their suvs outside of the gate. What was the delay . Two minutes, still, no police. The tension was unbearable. Then, alex did something, he took the gun out of rileys hand. This is a real gun. Alex, why did you take the gun from riley . That was kind of a bold move it really was. I was watching from the backseat. I was like, no it was this thing and riley grabs it back out of my hands. That was scary. And that is when the police got through the gate. And made their move. What the [beep] everybody put your hands out of the vehicle now. Riley was cuffed and taken away the gun was still in the car. Just pull that back. Just to see the serial number. The mission was a success. Alex and noah was safe. Riley was charged with the murder of emma walker and taken to jail. It was the end of a long crazy day. A popular Football Hero was behind bars. How did it all come to this . He was controlling and obsessive but you never thought like a murder in a case already full of surprises the biggest one was still to come. Coming up, a sudden change in rileys story. And it is a stunner. As crazy as it is and as bizarre as it is, he was hoping that he could come to her rescue. What riley is saying is that i am not a cold blooded killer. Would the jury believe it . Count one, charging the defendant with firstdegree murder, did the jury reach a verdict . When dateline continues jua verdict . 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Almost 1 1 2 years have passed since emma walker was slot and killed through her bedroom. Her expled not guilty to murder. Knox county Attorney General prepared for a high Profile Trial why do you think this case captured so much a sneens people can relate to a teenage couple in love, people can relate to break ups, and the one thing that really scared people in our community was that emma was asleep in her own home in her own bed. Was it stressful as the trial approached . Yes. Very. Just the worries. Reporter the prosecutors would have to prove to a jury that it was riley who pulled the trigger. What was your strategy going into this trial . I think the main thing we needed to focus on in the beginning was putting him there that night. So, i think the Cell Phone Records and the Gps Locations were very important up until that moment. They placed him around emmas house he placed himself in maryville and the Phone Records placed him in knockville. He clearly told a lie about where he was when emma was shot. Yes, yes, yes. The picture that we painted was someone who was phony. You could not get the truth out of him if you tried. Reporter but, on the first day of trial rileys defense attorney, wesley stone, upended the states case with an admission. Riley was there, did fire the gun but it was not murder. That was a fairly stunning claim. From the gallery, veteran Crime Reporter saw jaws drop. What he said was, riley never intended to kill her. And in fact assumed he would not kill her if he shot through a wall. We will ask you to find mr. Gaul guilty of reckless homicide not Premeditated Murder right. In tennessee that is 24 years. That would be a huge difference yes. All of the states preparation went out the window. The case went from a whodunit to a State Of Mind defense. The defense said riley was not a crazy killer just crazy in love with emma with a bizarre plan to win her back when riley gaul fired that shot in the backyard, as crazy as it is, bizarre as it is, he was hoping he could come to her rescue. Reporter the defense told the jury that riley only meant to scare emma with the gunshots, then, with emma needing comfort he would swoop in. His attorney argued that riley had no idea the bullets would pass through the house for some of us to know about firearms may know if you shoot into a house that it will go through the wall. Some of us may not. And i submit to you, riley gaul did not. The defense denied riley was the man in black. But, admitted the kidnapping story was a ruse. It showed how desperate his client was to be with her. What riley was trying to do is to get an opportunity to see emma. That is what he was trying to do they would be a theme of his defense that rather than killing emma what he intended to do was play her rescuer it sounds like he was just trying to scare her when you first heard it. I would think the same thing then i looked at the scene and looked at where he would be standing and it is what five feet away from the house the measurements were. And, it is, me pointing a gun right at you right now and pulling the trigger. It was that close. So close, prosecutors said it was. Shoot up in the air, shoot anywhere than where you shot. He was desperate to be with emma but that desperation was dangerous. Of course he was the man in black. After that and the Kidnapping Stunt failed they said riley gave up on winning her back. Instead, he snuck into her backyard, stood outside of her Window Firing into the wall knowing exactly where she left on the other side. I think this is a case about revenge. I think that he sought to get back at her for the hurt that he perceived that she was purposely putting on him by breaking up with him. And after he killed her the prosecutor said he went to Great Lengths to cover his tracks. And he was going to throw the gun off of bluff . Yes, sir and how riley tried to manipulate his friends i am trusting you guys like, with my life. His plan was to get away with this. His plan was never to be caught. Which theory would the jury believe . A reckless act or Premeditated Murder . They went off to dell iberate and dell. Went off and came back four hours later. We the jury Find Riley Gaul guilty. Guilty. He will number his 70s by the time he is eligible for parole. We are very proud of all of the investigators and all of the work that, we are almost more proud of noah and alex. Are they the heros in this . I think they are, i do. Lieutenant merit, the walkers, they call you the heros we just did what we got to do it took a lot of guts to do what you guys did. As for emma that used to joke that she was kind of a big deal she has become one with tributes to her all over time. A scholarship in her name and a dog park dedicated to the animal lover. A happy place to remember her and for other people to remember her. And here at the east tennessee childrens hospital, a nicu exam room named her memory. Emmas parents believe the best way to honor their daughter is to learn from what happened. Detective merit says it is important to understand what teenage drama turns into dangerous behavior. We need to educate our young People Better about relationships and what a healthy relationship is and what is psychological abuse healthy relationship is and what is psychological abuse thats what we hope someone gets out of this story. Know whats healthy for you. , may be gone but for those who loved her, the young girl still sparkles. She would want to be out there. She would want us to be laughing and having fun. You cant cry all day. You still have to live life. Thats all for this edition of dateline. I am Andrea Canning. Thank you isfor watching. Hello, im Andrea Canning, and this is dateline. R les in the middle of a hurricane. Hello, i am Andrea Canning, wais dateline