Dateline: Noises in the Night - Timeline breakdown of Emma Walker's murder before new episode

Dateline: Noises in the Night delves into the shocking murder case of Emma Walker in November 2016 in Knoxville, Tennessee. A popular high school student and cheerleader, Walker aspired to be a nurse. However, her life took a tragic turn when she was shot to death by her ex-boyfriend William Riley Gaul.

Gaul was eventually charged and convicted of Walker's murder. He was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree felony murder, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. Other charges include stalking, tampering with evidence, theft of property over $500, and reckless endangerment. He was sentenced to 51 years in prison without parole.

Dateline: Noises in the Night will air on Friday, August 14, 2026 at 10/9c on NBC.

Here's a complete timeline of the case.

Dateline: Noises in the Night: Full timeline of Emma Walker's murder

November 19, 2016: Gaul's grandfather reported his missing gun

Two days before Walker was killed, Gail's grandfather reported a missing gun to Knoxville Police. He said that the pistol was stolen from his car. He shared that his grandson might have stolen it since he was having su****** tendencies.

November 20, 2016: Gaul denies knowing about stolen gun

Gaul showed his friend that he had a gun. However, he apparently denied knowing about his grandfather's gun. As per the reports, it was stolen by him on November 18, and a day later, Gaul's grandfather reported it to the police.

November 21, 2016: Emma Walker murdered

Emma Walker was murdered by her ex-boyfriend William Riley Gaul on November 21, 2016 (Image Via YouTube/@DatelineNBC)

Emma Walker was a 16-year-old high school student who lived with her parents in Knoxville, Tennessee. Known for her kindness and bubbly personality, she wanted to be a nurse. When Walker was 14, she started to date her senior and a college football player, William Riley Gaul. What began as a sweet teenage love turned controlling and toxic, leading to their breakup, just two weeks before Walker's death.

On November 21, 2016, around 3 am Walker was killed in her sleep by her ex-boyfriend, Gaul. According to investigators, she was shot in the head, near her left ear, by a 9 amm handgun.

Walker's father told Dateline that hours before her murder, he heard a loud noise from Walker's bedroom. He got up to check on his son and daughter and found Walker fast asleep in her bed. The next morning around 6 a.m when her mother tried to wake her up for school, she was already dead.

Emma Walker's parents found her lifeless body on her bed on November 21, 2016 (Image Via YouTube/@DatelineNBC)

Her parents called 911, and when the investigators arrived, they found a small bullet hole in the wall. A gun was fired from outside the house into Emma's bedroom. The bullet crossed the wall and hit Emma's head, killing her. Another bullet was found lodged in her pillow.

November 22, 2016: Gaul arrested

Gaul's friend Alex and Noah helped the authorities (Image Via YouTube/@DatelineNBC)

According to WVLT 8, Gaul was arrested on November 22, 2016, from an apartment parking lot. The investigators said that they found him with a pistol. They believed that it was the gun that was used to kill Emma Walker.

Before her death, Walker was upset over Gaul's bizarre fake kidnapping plot. He apparently sent her anonymous messages, and once a man dressed in black stalked her and attempted to get inside the house. Gaul confided his wrongdoings in two of his close friends, Alex and Noah. Initially, he denied harming Walker, but suspicion rose when he allegedly asked for his friend's help to dispose of the murder weapon.

William Riley Gaul was arrested in an apartment's parking lot on November 22, 2016 (Image Via YouTube/@DatelineNBC)

Eventually, Alex and Noah contacted the police and worked with them to get Gaul's confession. Alex and Noah accompanied Gaul to dispose the gun in the Tennessee River. Little did Gaul know that the investigators were following them, and he was arrested that night in the parking lot.

April 30, 2018: Trial of William Riley Gaul

Bullet mark near Emma Walker's bed (Image Via YouTube/@DatelineNBC)

The trial of William Riley Gaul for the murder of Emma Walker commenced on April 30 in Knox County Criminal Court. On May 1, 2016, Walker's family, two neighbours, and a 911 operator testified.

On May 2, five of Walker's friends testified, mentioning how Gaul tried to harass Walker by sending her anonymous messages, stalking her, or faking a kidnapping. Eventually, Gaul's grandfather testified, confirming that his gun was a 9mm Glock, which matched the murder weapon.

May 8, 2018: William Riley Gaul found guilty

William Riley Gaul was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Emma Walker (Image Via YouTube/@DatelineNBC)

Gaul was found guilty of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, stalking theft, and possession of a firearm. Other charges include felony murder and reckless endangerment. Judge Bobby R. McGee sentenced Gaul to life imprisonment without possibility of parole for 51 years. In 2021, Gaul requested a new trial claiming insufficient evidence, but the motion was denied. He is serving his sentence at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee.