An upstate New York teen has been convicted of second-degree murder for strangling his girlfriend when they were both 14. Raymond Wright Jr. was found guilty Monday by a jury after five hours of deliberation for the murder of Samantha Humphrey.
Humphrey’s body was discovered in the Mohawk River in Schenectady months after she disappeared in November 2022. It was not until May 2025 that a medical examiner determined the cause of death was strangulation.
According to prosecutors, Humphrey’s phone history indicated she had researched pregnancy symptoms, though it was never confirmed if she was pregnant. Wright's search history included inquiries into how bodies decompose in water.
Wright admitted to having a physical altercation with Humphrey near the river but claimed he left her alive. However, Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Christina Tremante-Pelham stated that Wright could not account for a 90-minute gap in his alibi, which she argued was the time he spent killing her and disposing of her body.
Humphrey’s father, Jeffrey Humphrey, expressed his desire to witness the verdict but arrived as the now 18-year-old defendant was being led away. "But I got to see the look on the face of the monster that made the monster," he said, referring to Wright's mother who had an outburst and stormed out of the courtroom.
The defense had suggested that the 14-year-old victim may have died by suicide. Humphrey's loved ones cried in the courtroom as the verdict was read.
Wright faces a sentence of up to 15 years to life in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for January. Jeffrey Humphrey stated that the verdict meant his daughter's killer could no longer pose a danger to others. He also expressed concern that earlier warnings about the defendant's behavior had been unheeded by authorities.