The Disappearance and Murder of Samantha Humphrey

 

Samantha Humphrey vanished from her family's Schenectady, New York home on November 25th, 2022. That evening, the 14-year-old snuck out of the residence around 11:00 PM to meet up with her ex-boyfriend at Riverside Park. Samantha never returned home and was never seen alive by her family and friends again. 

When Samantha's family discovered she had left the home and not returned, they began to search the area. Her father searched around Riverside Park and found Samantha's jacket in the Mohawk River. The hood of the jacket appeared to be stained with blood. At that point, concerns for her safety escalated.

After Samantha was reported missing, police discovered surveillance footage that captured her walking alongside Mohawk River on the evening of her disappearance. This is consistent with a text that she sent a friend, saying that she was planning to meet up with her ex in that area - which is known as a popular spot for local teens to hang out. Police confirmed that the cameras captured Samantha entering that area, but there is no footage of her leaving said location.

Samantha's ex-boyfriend has not been publicly identified due to his minor age. Very little has been said about his potential involvement in the case. However, an article from December 2022 stated that he was cooperating with the investigation, but he had not been ruled out. After that, news about Samantha's disappearance seemingly went stagnant.

On February 22nd, 2023, a fisherman spotted a body in the river. Police were called, and the remains were pulled from the water. Days later, it was publicly confirmed that the body belonged to Samantha Humphrey. Her death was classified as a homicide.

It was later revealed that Samantha died from strangulation. Many believed that Samantha's ex-boyfriend was responsible for her death, but investigators did not immediately arrest him. In fact, it would be 2 more years before the ex-boyfriend was finally arrested in May 2025. The ex, now 17, has still not been publicly identified due to him still being a minor. As of right now, he is still charged as a minor, though those charges may be updated at a later date.

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Sources:
News 10
People
Times Union