Amy Preasmyer was 15 weeks pregnant by August 1997, and she thought her boyfriend Ricky Cowles Jr. had ruined her life by forcing her to carry the child. As a result, she went up to William “Billy” Hoffman, a store employee in the area, and demanded payment in exchange for killing Ricky. On August 12, 1997, Billy killed Ricky Cowles Jr. inside his own flat, as shown in the documentary “Dateline: Killing Time.”
However, because there was no evidence linking Amy to the crime at the time, she was able to escape without a trace, and the expectant woman even made the decision to keep her child. Let’s investigate the incident’s specifics and learn where Ricky and Amy’s child is right now, shall we?
Who Is Ricky Cowles Jr. and Amy Preasmyer’s Daughter?
At a home party when Amy was still a sophomore in high school, Ricky and Amy first connected. Ricky was 21 years old and employed as an electrician in the family business at the time. It’s interesting to note that in the beginning of their relationship, the two were really in love. Ricky even took his girlfriend on expensive excursions and showered her with gifts. But in the middle of 1997, when Amy discovered that her partner had become pregnant, things took a bad turn. Amy naturally did not want to become a parent at the age of 16, and she started to hate Ricky for making her pregnant.
In fact, reports stated that she frequently bragged to her friends about Ricky and claimed that he had ruined her life. Amy, Ricky and her friend Jennifer Kellogg moved into a new Lancaster, California flat towards the end of 1997. Nevertheless, despite Ricky’s best efforts to make his lover content, she didn’t think twice about coming up with a cunning scheme to get rid of him. Soon after, Amy went up to William “Billy” Hoffman and made a deal with him: she would pay him if he would kill Ricky.
Unexpectedly, Billy consented, and Amy and Jennifer invited him into the flat before meticulously preparing the theft. On August 12, 1997, Ricky finally entered his flat before being attacked by Billy at about 9 o’clock. After pinning the victim to the ground with a struggle, the assailant battered him with a claw hammer before shooting him in the head. Ricky was unresponsive when Amy discovered him about an hour after the event, but he died before emergency personnel could get to the location.
The police inquiry found that Billy was accountable for breaking into the home, killing Ricky, in the days that followed. There was also no evidence linking the 16-year-old to the crime, despite the suspect’s insistence that Amy had urged her to kill her lover. Since Billy was sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole plus 10 years in 1999 after being found guilty of first-degree murder, Amy gave birth to her daughter, Kayleigh, on her own and was determined to be a successful single mother.
Where Is Ricky Cowles Jr. and Amy Preasmyer’s Daughter Today?
At first, Amy brought up Kayleigh by herself, but additional inquiry resulted in her 2005 arrest. Amy was then found guilty of soliciting a murder and given a life sentence without the possibility of parole in 2008. Soon after Amy was found guilty, both Ricky and Amy’s families became involved in a custody dispute for Kayleigh; however, they ultimately made the decision to put the past behind them and split custody.
Currently living in California, Kayleigh has a special relationship with all four of her grandparents and Ricky’s sister. However, Amy’s mother said of the youngster on the show that Kayleigh is fairly adept at masking her emotions and always puts on a nice front because she does not want to let anyone down. We still find it uplifting to witness Kayleigh leading a loving life and wish her the very best in the years to come.
