Dateline: Noises in the Night - 5 harrowing details about Emma Walker's murder, revisited 

The Dateline episode titled Noises in the Night is memorable for recounting the horrific murder of Emma Jane Walker. As revealed on Dateline, Emma Jane Walker was shot to death by her ex-boyfriend, Riley Gaul, in an unfortunate case of obsession and stalking that led to murder in the first degree. Gaul was eventually convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a period of fifty-one years. Here we take a look at five harrowing details about the murder of Emma Walker, as revealed on Dateline.

Dateline: What are the 5 harrowing details from the murder case of Emma Walker?

Keep reading to learn more.

1) Emma Walker was murdered in her sleep

The Dateline episode illustrated in chilling detail the murder of Emma Walker. While Emma slept in her residence on November 21, 2016, Gaul went up to her and shot her twice. One of the bullets hit her behind her ear, causing her to pass away. The next morning, her corpse was discovered in a pool of blood by her terrified mother.

2) Walker's parents had tried to stop her relationship with Gaul

Somewhere down the line, Walker's parents realized that Gaul wasn't a suitable boyfriend for their daughter. As per the testimony presented by the parents in the courts, they had tried to stop their daughter from continuing her relationship with Gaul. It is also worth noting that about two weeks before being murdered, Walker had mentioned to her friends that she was about to permanently end things with Gaul. This decision to break up fuelled Gaul's obsession, which soon transformed into murderous intentions.

3) Gaul claimed he wanted to win back Walker

Dateline also mentioned that after Gaul was arrested and put on trial, he and his lawyers accepted that he was the one who fired the gun. However, they tried to defend his actions with the story that Gaul had wanted to win back Walker by staging an elaborate and abortive kidnapping of himself and even trying to act as the rescuer for Walker. It is needless to say that this didn't hold up in court, and Gaul was subsequently convicted of first-degree murder.

4) Walker was killed at an early age

At the time of her death, Walker was just sixteen years old. The young age at which she was slain by her ex-boyfriend makes this Dateline case particularly tragic and poignant. Walker never got to fully grow and blossom in life. She was a cheerleader at Central High School, whereas Gaul was a member of the Maryville College football team.

Trending

5) Gaul was convicted of several charges

The jury convicted Gaul of murder in the first degree. He was also convicted of several other charges, including reckless endangerment, possession of a firearm during a dangerous crime, stalking, and theft.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback