Samantha Humphrey’s ex-boyfriend arrested in her 2022 death
An arrest has been made in the 2022 death of Samantha Humphrey.
Samantha’s ex-boyfriend, now 17 years old, has been charged with second-degree murder in her death.
Samantha had gotten into a fight with the ex-boyfriend the night she went missing, investigators said.
However, it wasn’t until now that he was officially linked to the crime. He has now been charged with second-degree murder. His name has not been released at this point, and NewsChannel 13 will not be naming him.
This story has captivated the Capital Region for 2 ½ years. Samantha was last seen on Nov. 25, 2022, at Riverside Park in Schenectady’s Stockade neighborhood.
At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney outlined what led up to that night.
“We believe that Samantha thought she was pregnant and this sometime-boyfriend was the father. He wanted nothing to do with the baby and insisted she get rid of the baby,” he said.
The two were arguing as they walked along the river. The 17-year-old allegedly caused her death by strangulation and asphyxiation, according to Carney.
Carney said the defendant was a suspect from the beginning, but they had to make sure they conducted a thorough investigation and had enough evidence to bring charges.
“If we go too early with a case, before we have all the evidence, that might jeopardize our success,” he said.
This was a very complicated investigation that included video evidence from public and private cameras, GPS tracking and cell phone tracking, according to Carney.
They applied for eavesdropping warrants in December 2022 and February 2023 that produced hours of recordings, Carney said.
A break in the case came five months into the investigation, when detectives became aware of the existence of an iPad that could contain useful evidence.
Carney said many agencies were involved in the investigation, including State Police Major Crimes, Special Investigations Unit, an underwater recovery dive team, which made many dives into the water.
The autopsy initially ruled that the cause of death was undetermined. Carney said they met several times with the medical examiner. He had believed it was likely a homicide, but he had to rule out suicide.
Carney said based upon new information, he was able to conclude it was a homicide.
Carney said that a massive amount of resources from his office were dedicated from his office.
Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Christina N. Tremante cleared her calendar to oversee the case.
The case was brought before a special grand jury to hear just this case, according to Carney.
“I know this prosecution would require multiple steps and put it before one of our sitting grand juries would require an unreasonable amount of work,” he said.
A total of 23 jurors heard 46 witnesses and all of the evidence over a three-week period. Carney said prosecutors treated it like a trial.
“It was like a jigsaw puzzle. We had to put all the pieces together,” Carney said.
The defendant was arrested on the way to school and was arraigned in Schenectady County Court. He pleaded not guilty and sent to a juvenile detention facility.
Carney said because he is a juvenile at the time of the crime, his name will not be released and the maximum sentence he faces is 15 years to life.
Carney called this case has been an “insult to the community.”
“Even though every life is precious, the death of a 14-year-old child that had her whole life to live in front of her is particularly difficult,” he said.
Police Chief Eric Clifford said the case has been tragic for the community – including law enforcement.
“A young life has been lost, and another young person stands accused of that loss,” he said. “No family should ever have to endure this kind of pain.”
Timeline of Samantha Humphrey case
