Shivangi Sinha
In December 2020, Daniel Dale Long, Risa Mae Saunders, and their two sons, Gage Ripley and Jameson Long, were found shot to death in their Elkview, West Virginia home. It didn’t take long for police to realize that another family member, the couple’s eldest son, Gavin Smith, was missing. He was soon located and arrested, and as the investigation unfolded, it became clear that Gavin’s girlfriend, Rebecca Walker, had also been involved. The episode of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Signs of a Psychopath,’ titled ‘His Parents Didn’t Like Me,’ delves into Rebecca’s role in the crime and highlights how she ultimately assisted in the investigation against Gavin.
Rebecca Walker Admitted She Urged Gavin to Kill His Family
In 2017, 17-year-old Rebecca Lynn Walker began a relationship with Gavin Smith, but their relationship faced significant challenges. Gavin’s family disapproved and instructed him to stay away from her. Despite this, the young couple continued to communicate secretly, frequently exchanging texts and video calls. Rebecca claimed that Gavin had attempted to run away from home several times, only to be brought back by the sheriff’s office, which intensified his frustration and anger. According to Rebecca, Gavin became increasingly unhappy living at home and eventually started expressing a desire to kill his family so he could be with her.
In December 2017, while living at her grandmother’s house, Rebecca learned that her grandmother would be away for a few days. Seizing the opportunity to be together, she and Gavin devised a plan in which she encouraged him to kill his family. During the attack, Gavin remained on a video call with her as he shot his mother and stepfather, followed by his younger brother. Although Rebecca was aware that Gavin had access to both a knife and a gun, she was uncertain about which specific weapons were used on each victim. She admitted that she urged him on during the incident and communicated with him through text messages throughout the ordeal. She added, “I told him to hurry up and do it.”
Rebecca stated that she couldn’t see much of what was happening because the screen went completely blank for a couple of minutes. She insisted that she hadn’t asked Gavin to kill the baby and assumed that 3-year-old Jameson Long had survived since she could hear a baby crying in the background. Although she didn’t want Gavin to kill his family, she believed it was the only way they could be together. After the crime, she noticed that Gavin appeared very panicked, and she tried to calm him down, advising him to stay at her grandmother’s house. When the full picture came to light, Rebecca was also arrested and charged with the murders.
Rebecca Walker is Behind Bars Today
Rebecca Walker decided to enter a guilty plea with the prosecutors, recognizing the gravity of her involvement. She was found guilty of four counts of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, leading to the dropping of the more serious murder charges against her in exchange for her cooperation. As part of her plea agreement, she agreed to fully cooperate with authorities. She provided the police with all the details she knew about the case and even testified against Gavin Smith during his trial in December 2022. In September 2021, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison, which she is currently serving at Lakin Correctional Center in West Columbia, West Virginia. The 21-year-old will be eligible for parole in December 2025, after which she can start applying for release.
Read More: Gavin Smith: Where is the Family Killer Now?
