Judge imposes maximum sentences in Riley Crossman's death following mother's plea for top penalty

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.

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.

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.

Police agencies got a description of the girl and the search for her began. Local authorities were aided in the investigation by the FBI and a specialized crimes against children unit.

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The criminal complaint filed by West Virginia State Police said that McCauley, Oakley's then-boyfriend, gave conflicting accounts regarding his use of a green Dodge work truck, his drug use and the route he traveled on May 8, 2019, between his home and his construction job site in the Hedgesville area.

Crossman’s body appeared to have drywall mud on her right shoulder and right foot when she was found, and fresh drywall mud splatter was found in the bed of the work truck, court records said.

Defense attorney Andy Arnold could not be reached for comment Thursday.

In his opening statement on the first day of the trial, Arnold said there was no proof of Crossman's cause of death and no evidence of a weapon used in her death, or evidence of where or when she died.

He said there were five other people in Crossman's house around the time she disappeared, and said that McCauley had no motive to kill her.

James said on Thursday that he wanted to refute comments that have circulated on social media.

"I made it clear today that there is absolutely no evidence that (someone else) had any involvement in this case, and that all the evidence points to Andy McCauley," James said. "I find it hard to believe that a man facing two potential life sentences — which he was actually sentenced to today — would take the rap for someone else ..."

Law enforcement and even the community worked hard on the case, according to James.

"Two and a half years ago it was amazing to see the community come together to try to find Riley," James said. "Unfortunately, it wasn't the outcome we were looking for."

Moore said she hoped the outcome of the court case would bring some measure of comfort to Crossman's family.

"We hope the family feels some semblance of justice from the verdict and the outcome of this trial," Moore said.

"We understand that nothing can bring Riley back," she said. "We hope they're able to move forward in a positive way."

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: McCauley gets life without parole in Riley Crossman's death