14-Year-Old Boy Killed Girlfriend After Argument Over Possible Pregnancy, Then Dumped Her Body in River — Jury Finds Him Guilty Years Later

A heartbreaking case that remained unresolved for more than two years has finally reached a major turning point. Raymond Wright Jr., who was just 14 when his girlfriend disappeared in November 2022, has now been convicted of second-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Samantha Humphrey. Prosecutors said the teenage couple had argued over the possibility that Samantha was pregnant before Wright strangled her and disposed of her body in the Mohawk River in upstate New York. The verdict, delivered on November 2, 2026, brought a long-awaited development for Samantha’s grieving family.

Samantha was last seen on November 25, 2022, at Riverside Park in Schenectady, New York. She had gone out that evening and never returned home. Her disappearance triggered an extensive search involving police, volunteers and members of the community. For months, her family held on to hope that she might still be alive. On February 22, 2023, a fisherman discovered her remains in the Mohawk River, ending the search in devastating circumstances. A medical examiner later determined that she had died from strangulation.

Investigators focused on Wright, her on-and-off boyfriend, who had also been 14 at the time. According to prosecutors, Samantha had told him she might be pregnant and wanted to keep the baby. They alleged that an argument followed and turned violent. During the trial, prosecutors presented phone records, GPS information, DNA evidence and surveillance footage to reconstruct the teenagers’ movements that night. One particularly troubling detail was an internet search on Wright’s phone the day after Samantha disappeared about how long a body takes to decompose in water. Investigators also presented evidence involving a pair of socks bearing his DNA that were recovered from the river.

Wright took the stand during his trial and acknowledged that he had been with Samantha that night. He admitted punching her during an argument and described pushing her into the water, but insisted that he left her alive and did not know what happened afterward. His defense challenged the prosecution’s interpretation of the evidence and raised questions about other possible explanations for her death. However, prosecutors argued that his account contained major inconsistencies, including an unexplained period of approximately 90 minutes. After nearly five hours of deliberations, the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder.

Following the verdict, Samantha’s father, Jeff Humphrey, spoke about the years of uncertainty and emotional suffering his family had endured. He described a painful journey filled with hope, grief and doubt, saying the family had struggled to believe that something so terrible could happen. He also wanted people to remember Samantha for who she was, rather than allowing the circumstances of her death to define her. His words reflected the loss of a young girl whose life ended before she had the chance to experience adulthood.

Wright, now 18, is scheduled to be sentenced on January 20, 2027. Because he was 14 when the crime occurred, he was prosecuted under New York’s juvenile offender laws and faces a possible sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Although prosecutors argued that a possible pregnancy dispute was connected to the violence, there has been no confirmation that Samantha was actually pregnant. The guilty verdict closes one chapter of the case, but for her family, the loss of their daughter will remain long after the courtroom proceedings are over.

Source: https://people.com/boy-14-killed-his-girlfriend-after-argument-over-possible-pregnancy-then-dumped-her-body-in-river-12215273