Andy (Drew) J. McCauley, Jr. is a 41-year-old resident of Hedgesville, WV who was recently arrested for the murder of Riley Crossman. Andy was dating Riley’s mother, Chantel Oakley, which is why police identified him as a potential suspect when Riley disappeared.
Riley had been missing since May 7. She was on the phone with her boyfriend until 10:30 PM on May 6 texting friends until midnight that night. She attempted video call her boyfriend at 5:40 AM before her phone was turned off. Riley’s mom, Chantel Oakley, checked Riley’s room on May 7th at 7:15 AM and noticed she was gone but assumed she had left for Berkeley Springs High School. Chantel started worrying at 3:30 PM when she received a call from the school that Riley had been marked absent that day. She then contacted Riley’s father and the police to report Riley as missing.
A body matching the description of Riley was discovered at the 5500 block of Tuscarora Pike in Berkeley County on an embankment near the top of a mountain on the morning of May 16. The day before, there was a county-wide search for Riley that included 50 volunteer and law enforcement officers from West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland. Over 300 volunteer community members also showed up and assisted in searching parts of Morgan County for hours. Washington County Fire and Rescue, the Red Cross, Union Chapel United Methodist Church, and the local Moose Lodge donated food and drink for the massive search party.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Department found the body was on an embankment off of a rural mountain road section of Tuscarora Pike, near the top of a mountain. Due to the terrain, the West Virginia State Police Crime Scene Team and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, from Virginia, responded to help. The body has not been confirmed as Riley but Sheriff Bohrer said they were “very confident” the remains were hers.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. He was one of the prime suspects from the beginning.
Sheriff K.C. Bohrer said in a press conference that McCauley was “a suspect since day one.” During the week-long search for Riley, Andy McCauley was under surveillance by law enforcement at his job site in Berkeley County. The Sheriff’s Department didn’t comment on why he was one of the prime suspects but it’s likely due to his relationship with Riley’s mother and access to their home. After a week of surveillance, Bohrer said McCauley agreed to come to the West Virginia State Police barrack in Martinsburg, where he was arrested.
2. He’s Been “In a Relationship” with a Woman Named Denise Farr Since 2004
According to his Facebook page, Andy McCauley has been “in a relationship” with a woman named Denise Farr since 2004. The two don’t have any photos together, but they have the same photos posted on both of their pages including pictures of a pool being built in Denise’s backyard and photos of Andy with her children.
FacebookComparison of photos from Andy McCauley’s and Denise Farr’s Facebook pages.
3. He Was Dating Riley’s Mother, Chantel Oakley
At the press conference to announce the update, Sheriff Bohrer was asked about McCauley’s relation to Crossman, he confirmed that he was her mother’s, Chantel Oakley’s boyfriend.
4. His Facebook Page Is Being Flooded with Angry Comments
After his arrest, Andy McCauley’s public Facebook posts have been overtaken with comments from the outraged local community. His most recent post, where he updated his profile photo, has 229 comments and almost all of them are condemning Andy for his alleged actions. It’s not just people from West Virginia, the national media attention this case has received has led to many other people chiming in.
Alex Wallace, a user from West Palm Beach Flordia, commented “Obviously from the expletives and lack of proper use of the English language in these posts, it shows the type of people that this guy is associated with. Also, the Mother obviously lacked discernment when it comes to picking boyfriends. The only light at the end of the tunnel is that this young lady won’t grow up in the midst of this person and his acquaintances here.”
The comments continue to pour in both from people in the local community and those following the case from around the United States.
5. Andy McCauley May Have Children
According to several Facebook posts on Andy and his possible girlfriend/baby mother Denise Farr, the couple may have a few children together. Both of their Facebook accounts are semi-private so it’s unclear if Andy is the father of the children or simply watching over them.