Shot Through the Bedroom Wall: The Riley Gaul Case

🏈 He was the star athlete. She was his high school cheerleader… then he showed up at her bedroom window with a gun.
Obsessed. Stalked. Murdered.
🎧 Now streaming: Riley Gaul – The Story Behind the Shot Through the Wall.
#TrueCrime #RileyGaul #EmmaWalker #TeenMurder #Podcast

In November 2016, 18-year-old college football player William Riley Gaul ended a tumultuous on-off relationship the wrong way—by picking up a gun. Two shots fired through the bedroom wall of his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend, Emma Walker, killed her in her bed.

The tragedy stemmed from obsession, stalking, and a desperate need to be her "hero." Gaul had staged a fake kidnapping to gain her sympathy and even stalked her home in black clothing. But the ultimate act of violence came at 3 a.m., forever shattering lives.

Arrested after a police sting set up by his own friends, Gaul faced a jury that eventually found him guilty of first-degree murder, stalking, tampering with evidence, reckless endangerment, theft, and illegal firearm possession. In May 2018, he was sentenced to life in prison—51 years before parole eligibility.

This episode unpacks:

The dark spiral from teenage romance to deadly obsession

How social media, Snapchat threats, and midnight break‑ins revealed a toxic relationship

The hidden sting operation set up by Gaul’s friends

The courtroom drama and life sentence that followed

Content Warning: Graphic content involving gun violence, teenage death, and stalking. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

Riley Gaul, Emma Walker, teen dating violence, Knoxville murder, ex-boyfriend killer, stalking turned murder, police sting, life sentence 2018, social media threats, college athlete crime, Cheerleader murder, true crime podcast


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