Shraman Mitra
By August of 1997, Amy Preasmyer was already 15 weeks pregnant, and she believed her boyfriend, Ricky Cowles Jr., ruined her life by burdening her with a baby. Hence, she approached local store clerk William “Billy” Hoffman and offered him money in exchange for killing Ricky. ‘Dateline: Killing Time’ portrays how Billy ambushed and killed Ricky Cowles Jr. inside his own apartment on August 12, 1997.
However, with nothing tying Amy to the crime, she was able to get away scot-free at that time, and the expecting mother even decided to keep her child. Well, let’s delve into the details surrounding the incident and find out where Ricky and Amy’s child is at present, shall we?
Who Is Ricky Cowles Jr. and Amy Preasmyer’s Daughter?
Amy and Ricky met for the first time at a house party when Amy was still a sophomore in high school. At the time, Ricky was 21 and working as an electrician in his family business. Interestingly, the two were very much in love during the initial days of their relationship, and Ricky even took his girlfriend on lavish trips and showered her with gifts. However, things turned sour in the middle of 1997 when Amy learned that her boyfriend had gotten her pregnant. Naturally, Amy did not want to get burdened with a baby at 16 years of age, and she began resenting Ricky for getting her pregnant.
In fact, reports mentioned how she often complained about Ricky to her friends and insisted that he had ruined her life. By August of 1997, Ricky, Amy, and her friend, Jennifer Kellogg, moved into a new apartment in Lancaster, California. However, although Ricky tried his best to keep his girlfriend happy, she did not hesitate to hatch a sinister plan in order to get him out of her life. Soon after, Amy approached William “Billy” Hoffman and offered to pay him in exchange for killing Ricky.
Surprisingly, Billy agreed, and Amy, along with Jennifer, invited him into the apartment before planning the crime in detail. Eventually, on August 12, 1997, Ricky entered his apartment at around 9 pm before being ambushed by Billy. The attacker then wrestled the victim to the ground and beat him with a claw hammer before shooting him in the head. Even though Amy found her boyfriend in an unresponsive state about an hour after the incident, Ricky passed away before first responders could arrive on the scene.
In the days that followed, the police investigation discovered that Billy was responsible for breaking into the house and killing Ricky. Moreover, even though the suspect insisted that Amy had asked her to kill her boyfriend, there was no evidence that could have tied the 16-year-old to the crime. Hence, while Billy was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 10 years in 1999, Amy gave birth to her child, Kayleigh, all on her own and was determined to be a successful single mother.
Ricky Cowles Jr. and Amy Preasmyer’s Daughter is Living a Happy Life
Initially, Amy brought up Kayleigh all by herself, but further investigation led to her arrest in 2005. Subsequently, Amy was convicted of solicitation to commit murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2008. Although both Amy and Ricky’s families were embroiled in a court battle over Kayleigh soon after Amy’s conviction, they finally decided to leave the past behind and share custody.
At present, Kayleigh resides in California and shares an incredible bond with all four of her grandparents as well as Ricky’s sister. However, when talking about the child on the show, Amy’s mother mentioned that Kayleigh is pretty good at hiding her feelings and always presents a happy exterior as she does not want to disappoint anybody. Still, it is heartwarming to see Kayleigh living a life filled with love, and we wish her the best for the years to come.
Read More: Jennifer Kellogg: Where is Amy Preasmyer’s Friend Now?
