In August 1997, a very sad and awful crime happened in Lancaster, California. A 16-year-old girl named Amy Preasmyer, who was going to become a mother, was part of a horrifying plan to harm the father of her baby. He was actually her boyfriend, Ricky Cowles Jr., who was killed as a result of this plan.
Now, in 2023, a lot of time has passed since this event, but there are still many people who don’t know exactly what happened and why it happened.
We’re here to provide an explanation of that terrible event. We’re going to examine the details of what took place during that tragic incident and also find out where their daughter, Kayleigh, is today.
Beginning of Amy & Rocky’s Love Story
Amy Preasmyer and Ricky Cowles Jr.’s story started as a typical high school love story. They met at a house party when Amy was in the tenth grade, and Ricky, who was 21 years old and worked as an electrician for his family’s company, caught her eye.
They were crazy about each other at the beginning of their relationship and did things like going on fancy trips and giving each other nice presents. But everything changed when Amy found out she was pregnant in the middle of 1997.
How Ricky Was Murdered?
Amy Preasmyer talked to a guy named William “Billy” Hoffman and offered him money to kill Ricky. Shockingly, Billy agreed to do it, and together with Jennifer, they carefully planned how to carry out the crime.
On August 12, 1997, Ricky came back to his apartment around 9 PM and was suddenly attacked by Billy. Billy wrestled Ricky to the ground, beat him up badly with a claw hammer, and then shot him in the head.
About an hour later, Amy found Ricky, but he was already in a very bad condition, and he died from his injuries before the paramedics could get there.
Was There More To The Story?
When Amy found out she was pregnant at just 16, she felt really upset and blamed Ricky for what she thought was ruining her life. She complained about him to her friends a lot and started to think about getting rid of him.
In August 1997, they all moved into a new apartment in Lancaster, California, with Amy’s friend Jennifer Kellogg. Even though Ricky tried to make Amy happy, she was secretly planning something really terrible.
Ricky’s Murder Crime Investigation and Trial
After the terrible event, the police looked into what happened. They found out that Billy was responsible for breaking into the house and killing Ricky.
Billy said that Amy had asked him to do it, but there wasn’t enough proof to directly connect the 16-year-old Amy to the crime. So, they couldn’t charge her for it.
Billy was found guilty of first-degree murder and got a life sentence in prison with no chance of getting out, plus an extra 10 years in 1999.
Amy, on the other hand, had their baby, Kayleigh, on her own. She was determined to be a successful single mom and move on with her life.
What’s The Hidden Truth Behind The Murder?
In 2005, Amy’s life got really complicated because she was arrested and later found guilty of hiring someone to commit murder. In 2008, she was given a life sentence in prison with no chance of getting out.
After she was convicted, there was a big fight between Amy’s family and Ricky’s family about who should take care of Kayleigh, their child. Eventually, they decided to stop fighting and agreed to share the responsibility of taking care of the child.
What is Kayleigh, the Daughter of Amy & Ricky Doing in 2023?
Today, Kayleigh lives in California and has a strong connection with her four grandparents and Ricky’s sister. Even though there’s a sad story behind her birth, it seems like Kayleigh is good at hiding her feelings and always appears happy. She probably does this so that she doesn’t make anyone sad or worried.
Despite the difficult past, Kayleigh is growing up with a lot of love and people who care about her. We can only wish for her to have a happy and healthy life in the future.