MURDERED: Emma Walker and Mya Peña
Emma Walker had what looked to the world like a picture-perfect high school relationship — until her football player boyfriend revealed the ugly truth. Mya Peña looked past the red flags and saw a guy in need of unconditional love. And when she couldn’t give that to him, he decided she wouldn’t be giving it to anyone else either.
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If you want to learn more about teen dating violence:
For more information on teen dating violence – including where to go for help visit loveisrespect.org or you can also call them at 1-866-331-9474 or text LOVE to 22522.
For more resources related to Teen Dating Violence you can visit dosomething.org or teenDVmonth.org.
Episode Source Material
- NBC: Dateline: “Noises in the night” (Season 10, Episode 26)
- Washington Post: A football star killed his cheerleader ex-girlfriend. An accident, as he says, or murder? By Kyle Swenson
- ABC News: How a college football player’s friends helped police expose him for killing his high school cheerleader ex-girlfriend, By Joseph Diaz and Alexa Valiente
- 20/20: Shot in the Dark (season 41, episode 2)
- WVLT: Riley Gaul found guilty of first degree murder, felony murder
- ABC: They seemed like picture-perfect high school sweethearts, but their toxic relationship ended in murder, By Joseph Diaz, Keturah Gray, and Lauren Effron
- The Knoxville News-Sentinel: Kidnapping ruse detailed in trial, by Jamie Satterfield
- The Knoxville News-Sentinel: Secret videotape aired in Emma Walker slaying, by Jamie Satterfield
- CRIME AND JUSTICE WITH ASHLEIGH BANFIELD (CNN): Fatal Obsession, Chilling Details On A Former Football Player Charged With Murder Of His Ex-Girlfriend
- WBIR: Riley Gaul denied new trial in 2016 killing of ex-girlfriend Emma Walker
- The Knoxville News-Sentinel: Jury: Gaul guilty, by Matt Lakin and Travis Dorman
- MyaWorld (Facebook page)
- Fox 31 (Denver, CO): Family of 17-year-old killed in murder-suicide speaks out, by Deborah Takahara
- The Denver Post (Denver, CO): Family of Highlands Ranch teen Mya Pena speaks about relationship violence after murder-suicide, by Elizabeth Hernandez
- KOAA News5 (Colorado Springs, CO): Teen deaths near Ray Nixon Power Plant investigated as suspected murder-suicide
- 9 News (Denver, CO): 18-year-old suspected of killing teen, himself after bodies found in vehicle in Fountain, by Janet Oravetz
- KKTV 11 News (Colorado Springs, CO): WATCH: Vigil held for Colorado teen killed in murder-suicide, by Tony Keith and Lindsey Grewe
- Highlands Ranch Herald (Highlands Ranch, CO): Friends of teen murder victim celebrate her life with vigil, by Elliot Wenzler
- Colorado Springs Crime Watch (Facebook Page)
- Douglas County Sheriff: 17-year-old missing juvenile found deceased in El Paso County (media release)
- Connections Church (Facebook page)
- Fox 31 (Denver, CO): Friend of teen murder-suicide suspect: ‘I don’t see how this happened’, by Michael Konopasek
- CBS4 (Denver, CO): Classmates Remember Mya Pena As A Friend To Everyone, by Kelly Werthmann
- TeenDVMonth.org: How to Teach Your Teen to Recognize the Signs of a Toxic Relationship
Suggested Episodes
WANTED: Justice for Rhys Pocan & MMIW Part 2
In 2021, we set out to cover the case of Rhys Pocan, a 35-year-old Indigenous woman who was murdered in Wisconsin in the ‘80s. In Part 2, we look into cases of two other female dismemberment victims in Wisconsin with striking similarities to Rhys Pocan’s.
WANTED: Justice for Rhys Pocan & MMIW Part 1
In 2021, we set out to cover the case of Rhys Pocan, a 35-year-old Indigenous woman who was murdered in Wisconsin in the ‘80s. But while we were in the field, we uncovered a disturbing pattern of murders with similarities to Rhys’ that were just too blatant to ignore. So, we spent the next three years working with local and federal law enforcement to try and get to the bottom of it.
WANTED: The Keddie Cabin Killer
A family’s brutal murder rocks a tiny California town and leaves behind too many unanswered questions.
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