Ricky Cowles Jr.'s case: What happened to him and where is his family now?
Convicted killer Amy Preasmyer was only 16 years old when she orchestrated the murder of her boyfriend Ricky Cowles Jr., along with accomplices William 'Billy' Hoffman and Jennifer Anne Kellogg. What happened on that fateful day, and where are all the guilty parties today?
Source: UGC
Ricky Cowles Jr. was only 21 when he was murdered in 1997, a crime which shocked friends and family. As chronicled in the Dateline: Killing Time episode, his partner, Amy Preasmyer, had allegedly found him in the apartment they shared, still alive but barely clinging to life.
It was soon revealed that not all was what it seemed. Various individuals were involved in Richard Cowles' murder, including his then-girlfriend Amy. What crime occurred, and where did those involved in the murder end up?
Who is Ricky Cowles?
Richard 'Ricky' Cowles Jr. was a 21-year-old electrician who was brutally killed in his Gadsden Avenue apartment in Lancaster, USA, in August 1997. Ricky Cowles Jr. was an electrician for his family's business and was expecting a child with his then-teenage girlfriend Amy when he was killed.
Source: UGC
What did Amy Preasmyer do?
Online sources state that Amy and Ricky met at a house party, and Ricky was the brother of one of Amy's high school friends. The couple hit it off, and a relationship soon blossomed, eventually moving into a two-story apartment and becoming engaged.
Fifteen weeks pregnant with Ricky Cowles Jr.'s child at 16 years old, Amy Preasmyer felt Ricky had 'ruined' her otherwise bright future. So, she enlisted the help of her friends, local store clerk Billy Hoffman and fellow schoolmate Jennifer Kellogg, on August 12, 1997, when Ricky was killed in the home they shared.
Amy Preasmyer was not home when the incident happened; instead, she cruised around the neighbourhood with a friend to 'buy time' until her partner got home. They were the ones to find him and call the authorities.
Billy Hoffman was the one who attacked Ricky, with official records highlighting a violent end for Amy's slain boyfriend. When Billy was eventually tied to the murder and arrested in April 1998, he faced a trial a year later. Billy was found guilty based on circumstantial evidence. Billy Hoffman has since been released.
Billy eventually implicated Amy and their friend and then Jennifer Kellogg, a fellow roommate with the couple, as a part of the plot, with Amy being the mastermind. Amy was charged in 2005, and she stood trial in 2007, being found guilty of solicitation of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Another figure, David Ashbury, was also charged in 2005, and he received a two-year prison sentence for giving Billy the gun used to kill Ricky.
Where is Amy Preasmyer now?
Amy Preasmyer is currently incarcerated at California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, California, USA. Although she was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, online sources say this has since been amended.
According to the facility's website, Amy Preasmyer’s release date could be anywhere from March 2029, when she is eligible for parole. It is not known where Amy Preasmyer’s daughter is now, but reports say her mother raised her in her early years before her mother went to prison.
Where is Jennifer Anne Kellogg now?
Jennifer Anne Kellogg, Amy's friend who helped plan the murder, pleaded guilty to lesser charges and received 17 years imprisonment in 2008. Jennifer is currently on parole and reported to be living in California.
Ricky Cowles Jr.'s life was tragically cut short following the actions of his partner, who was supposed to be one of the people he could trust the most in his life. Thankfully, the guilty parties were held accountable and faced the full extent of the law.
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Source: Briefly News
