Boyfriend Of Murdered Teen’s Mom Had Scent Of Human Decomposition In His Truck, Sheriff’s Office Says

The scent of human decomposition in a West Virginia man's truck is part of the evidence police have gathered in the presumed murder of a 15-year-old girl. 

Andy McCauley was arrested Thursday, just after police discovered a corpse they believe to be 15-year-old Riley Crossman, the daughter of McCauley's girlfriend who'd gone missing May 8. A criminal complaint obtained by The Journal of Martinsburg, West Virginia indicates that police had eyed McCauley as a suspect as soon as Crossman disappeared. Additionally, cadaver dogs were able to pick up the scent of human decomposition during searches of McCauley's vehicle.

According to the criminal complaint, Cpl. Fred Edwards and Deputy Luke Shambaugh of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department asked for murder charges to be filed based on the findings of the dogs, evidence found on the corpse, and several inconsistencies in McCauley's story.

Regarding his whereabouts on May 8, McCauley told police he had left the construction site where he worked for approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours to retrieve and use drugs. Police now say video surveillance shows McCauley leaving the work site at 9 a.m. and not returning until almost 2 p.m, according to WHSV of Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The route which McCauley claims he took during this time did not match up to video evidence of the drive obtained by police. McCauley also at first denied using a work vehicle, a green Dodge truck, and then admitted to driving it.

Coworkers of McCauley's told police he had cocaine on him at the time.

Riley Crossman Photo: Morgan County Sheriff's Office

“It was later determined after a witness interview that McCauley had cocaine in his possession before leaving the worksite to go to his residence and would not have needed to travel back to Berkeley Springs to obtain more cocaine,” the court documents specified, according to The Journal.

Additionally, evidence of dry wall from McCauley's truck bed showed similarities to drywall mud was found on the right foot and right shoulder of the corpse. Police believe the location where the corpse was found lines up with the route McCauley would have had to take during his travels that day.

McCauley has been charged with murder, but the specific charge will be announced pending the completion of an autopsy. Police are confident the body they discovered in the woods belongs to Crossman but can't officially confirm the identity of the victim until an autopsy is completed.

Crossman had last been seen alive in her home on May 7 at around 7 p.m. by her grandmother, according to a criminal complaint cited by WHSV. Her mother, Chantel Oakley, noticed the light on in her bedroom at around 10:30 p.m. that night, as McCauley lay asleep downstairs. Oakley told Dateline that at 7:15 the next morning, Crossman wasn't in her room, but family friend Kelly Waugh said that wasn't "incredibly abnormal," according to NBC News.

Oakley did say that a video call was placed from Crossman's phone to her boyfriend at 5:40 a.m. that morning, but they apparently didn't connect, according to NBC Washington. 

It was after Crossman didn't show up for school that day that she was reported missing.