Raymond Wright Jr. convicted of second-degree murder in death of 14-year-old Samantha Humphrey

A New York court has found Raymond Wright Jr., now 18, guilty of second-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Samantha Humphrey, whose disappearance in late 2022 sparked a months-long search.

Details from the case

The killing occurred in November 2022 in Schenectady, when both teenagers were 14. Prosecutors say their final encounter took place in a local park during an argument over whether Samantha might be pregnant and whether Wright was the father.

Samantha was last seen alive on November 25, 2022; her body was recovered three months later from the Mohawk River. A medical examiner concluded the cause of death was strangulation.

During the two-week trial prosecutors presented DNA results, GPS coordinates and phone records as part of what they called an overwhelming body of evidence. Investigators also highlighted an internet search made the day after Samantha's disappearance: "How long does it take for a body to decompose in water?" Wright told police he had only struck and pushed her, causing her to fall into the river, but the evidence pointed to a far darker outcome.

At the verdict hearing Samantha's family spoke outside court. Her father, Jeff Humphrey, addressed the crowd: "We went through everything you can imagine — hope, pain, doubt. What I want people to remember about Sam is that, even if it may have cost her life, she was not afraid of anything and did not live in fear."

Wright was arrested in May 2025. He is awaiting a final sentence in the coming months and faces the possibility of life in prison.

Photo: press material from the event