Samantha Humphrey was just 14 years old when she disappeared on November 25, 2022, in Schenectady, New York. Her on-and-off boyfriend, Raymond Wright Jr., was also 14 at the time.
According to prosecutors, the two teenagers walked together from their homes to the Mohawk River on the night she vanished. Investigators alleged that they argued over a possible pregnancy before Wright strangled Samantha and threw her body into the water.
Her body was discovered in February 2023, nearly three months after she disappeared.
Investigators relied on a combination of digital records and physical evidence to build their case.
Samantha’s phone GPS data placed her near the river that night. Prosecutors also presented evidence that Wright’s socks were recovered from the water.
His phone contained searches related to abortions and whether a body decomposes underwater. One of those searches was reportedly made the day after Samantha disappeared.
The defense offered a different account, arguing that although the teenagers had an argument, Wright left Samantha alive.
Wright was arrested in May 2025. Nearly 18 years old at the time of his trial, he faced a jury that ultimately found him guilty of second-degree murder on November 2, 2026.
After deliberating for less than five hours, the jury reached its verdict, bringing a major development in the case that began with the disappearance of a 14-year-old girl.
Samantha’s case had remained unresolved for years, but the verdict marked a significant step in the pursuit of justice for her.
