Jury Selection Begins Monday in Samantha Humphrey Murder Trial
Jury selection in the murder trial of Raymond Wright Junior for the death of Samantha Humphrey is scheduled to begin Monday morning at the Schenectady County Courthouse, CBS 6 Albany reported. The trial marks a case that had the body of Humphrey discovered in the Mohawk River in February 2023.
Jury Selection Begins at Schenectady County Courthouse
Court proceedings get underway Monday morning before a local jury panel. Wright, who was a minor at the time of the disappearance and is now 18 years old, faces a second-degree murder charge filed in May 2025. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Humphrey disappeared in November 2022. Several months later, in February 2023, search efforts ended when her body was recovered from the Mohawk River in Riverside Park, close to the location where she was last seen. An autopsy performed at the time was inconclusive, according to records outlined by WAMC.
Investigation Details and Charges Filed in 2025
Law enforcement investigation records indicate that Humphrey was strangled. Police state the killing occurred after she reportedly told Wright she was pregnant and wanted to keep the baby, while Wright did not. Investigators arrested Wright in the spring of 2025, when he was 17 years old, bringing formal murder charges nearly two and a half years after the teenager’s disappearance.
Throughout the search and subsequent legal process, Humphrey’s family maintained a public visibility campaign. Relatives and supporters erected billboards and yard signs across the region and established a $20,000 reward for information regarding her murder. Those community efforts kept public attention fixed on the case as the investigation progressed toward an indictment.
CBS 6 Albany Provides Coverage of Murder Trial
With jury selection starting, the courtroom proceedings will determine the composition of the panel that hears testimony from prosecutors and defense counsel. CBS 6 Albany announced plans to provide continuous coverage of the murder trial both on air and through its digital platforms.