Mom Said Ex-Boyfriend Was Stalking Her Minutes Before He Shot Her Dead: Cops

A mother of two gunned down right. outside her home allegedly by her. ex-boyfriend had posted on Facebook just. minutes before that he was stalking her. Her family says she did everything. right. Went to police, got a protective. order, but her life was still taken. We. are getting insight on how police can. handle domestic violence situations that. could turn deadly at any time with a. former sheriff's deputy and SWAT. officer. Welcome to Sidebar presented by. Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. 34year-old Mariah Samuels, known to many.

as just Rya, spent the last few hours of. her life in fear. This was after she was. allegedly targeted by her ex-boyfriend, 50-year-old David Eugene Wright. Samuel's body was found riddled with. bullets just outside the home that she. shared with her father out Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14th. And. as police started investigating who. could have committed this brutal act, they discovered that Samuels herself had. posted on Facebook just before she was. shot some very alarming messages. She.

wrote at 7:45 a.m. Central time. I was. trying to stay silent but stalking me at. 4 in the bleeping morning and the police. ain't doing s or did a bleeping thing. besides serve him a protective order and. clearly it's not doing bleep. Bleep. this. You can tell how frustrated. Samuels is after a documented pattern of. apparent abuse at the hands of Wright. Now, police believe she was then shot. near her car just eight minutes after.

posting that message. This is according. to reporting from the Tri City Herald. Samuels also posted footage before her. death from a home security camera, which. she says shows Wright hitting her. multiple times. She wrote that Wright. couldn't quote control his emotions, put. his hands on her. She also claimed that. he threatened her family, damaged her. car because he couldn't handle a. breakup. Remember, this is a 50-year-old. man that we're talking about. Okay. Now, to discuss what led up to this shooting, the response, what's going on behind the. scenes, I want to bring in former. sheriff's deputy and SWAT officer Chad.

Ays on set. Chad, good to see you. Thanks so much for taking the time. Really appreciate it. I haven't seen you. in a while. Um, sorry, this is the case. that we're talking about, but you know, relationships involving domestic. violence are topics we talk about a lot. here. There's some of the most dangerous. situations for everyone involved, the. people, the police officers who have to. try to deescalate these situations. Talk. to us about that. >> Well, let's start with the law. enforcement side um for my background. and then I really do want to dive into. this. It is domestic calls are the most.

volatile calls law enforcement goes on. on a daily basis. And that's why we're. trained when we actually pull up on any. type of call, especially domestic. violence calls, we park, you know, we. don't pull straight up to the residents. You know, we've seen plenty of law. enforcement officers ambushed as soon as. they get out of their patrol cars. Switching over to the domestic violence. side. Look, we have a serious serious. issue across this country with domestic. violence. And unfortunately, my home. state of South Carolina is always one of. the top leading places in the country. where women are killed. in a domestic.

type of relationship mainly speaking to. the ladies because you know obviously. most domestic violence includes you know. the woman being a victim I understand. men can be victims but it's important to. for them to understand if you are living. in an abusive relationship you have to. get out it will never end Jesse it's. called the cycle of violence and so you. basically what happens is you start with. this tension building stage right where. you know you start dating and and it's. maybe some degrading comments or fingers. in the face and then maybe a wrist grab.

and then it turns into that volatile. stage where that wrist grab turns into a. punch and then it'll swing back over to. the what we call that honeymoon phase. I'm so sorry he's going to buy you some. crumble cookies or a new purse. This. will never happen again. It will never. end. And so I think it's super important. that your viewers and and anyone. listening today, there are resources out. here to get them help. And so if we can, you know, the the national DV hotline is. 1 8007997233.

If you are living in this, please reach. out and get help. I appreciate you. mentioning that. We're going to put it. up there as well. Um, and I want to go. back to what happened here because it. is, you know, a unique case, but also. not so unique when you look at. situations like this. So I want to talk. about Samuels here. According to a. GoFundMe that was set up by her family, she was a mother of two boys. She worked. as a dog groomer. Her social media is. full of photos from trips that she's. taken, including a recent vacation to. Puntaana. But back in Minneapolis, she.

was apparently dealing with a terrifying. situation with her ex, David Wright, who. family members say she dated for a few. months before breaking up with him. Now, according to court documents that were. reviewed by the Minnesota Star Tribune, Samuels had petitioned the court for an. order of protection, an order for. protection for herself and her. 11-year-old son, which was granted. And. that filing laid out serious accusations. against Wright, including that he. allegedly told her he was going to blow. up her house. Now, Samuels claimed in. the protective order request that on.

August 21st, Wright followed her to a. home where she was dropping off her son, confronted her outside, pistol whipped. her, and punched her. And the filing. also noted that, according to the. Tribune, that he allegedly grabbed her. by the throat while still holding the. gun and threatened to shoot her. Sir. Chad, when you listen to that, people. will say, "Wait, wait, wait. Protective. order, it's just a piece of paper. What. What can law enforcement do? Is there a. way to really enforce that?" Your take.

on it? >> Yeah. So, obviously protective orders, the the great thing about protective. orders is once it is obtained, it goes. into NCIC, the National Crime. Information Center database. So, protective orders aren't just for you in. your hometown, in your home state. They're nationwide. They can be. enforced. So if for some reason the. spouse and you or or you move or you go. on a vacation and this person comes out. there, it can be enforced. But like with. anything, Jesse, it is a piece of paper. and so there's not law enforcement with.

you 24/7. You know, as we look at this. on a law enforcement side, we have a. shortage of law enforcement across this. country. But I do believe in a situation. like we just saw with Samuels here, how. horrific to know that she went through. the process to to put things in place to. try to keep her safe. And unfortunately, the evil found a way to do it. >> You know, I got to say, I have a. demanding life as a reporter, a. journalist, an anchor. I I need fuel. I. need fuel to keep my energy up. throughout the day. But what do we see a. lot of these supplements and bars that. are meant for on the-go snacking? They're a mess. They have misleading.

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glad you mentioned the law enforcement. shortage because in an ideal world, should the system be improved where if. somebody gets an order of protection, they get a 48 to 72-hour not a. protection detail, but police checking. out their house, maybe following them a. little bit. I'm talking about the people. who take out their protective order. because I wonder, and you would know. this better than me, in situations where. that protective order is taken out, don't you see potential violations of. that protective order? people maybe, you. know, confronting that person within a.

short period of time of that protective. order. Maybe, maybe not. But shouldn't. that in an ideal world, wouldn't that be. great? >> 100%. And and the frustrating thing on. the law enforcement side is we actually. see it more the other way where the. victim who pulls out the protection. order after a few weeks starts to feel, you know, maybe we can work this thing. out. I've seen a change in this person's. life. Now, I cannot just invite that. person over. All right? it still is a. violation of that protection or you have. to go back to the courts to get it kind. of squashed out or or removed. But.

something needs to be in place whether. it is increased law enforcement presence. you know driving by the house or even. offering in the same sense not that you. know anyone wants to uproot their own. home or or apartment to go somewhere but. putting them in a secured location or a. shelter for same thing 42 72 hours kind. of let this thing die down. But. unfortunately, you know, we see this in. any type of criminal activity. If. someone determines that they want to. commit some type of act of violence, they're going to do it. So, you know,

having more training, you know, when. this happens of encouraging the victims. to really be aware of their. surroundings, you know, before they walk. outside, staying off social media, don't. post where you're at. Look, I'm not. making any excuses for this sick thing. that happened, but again, understanding. the seriousness of this, but even that. private organizations, you know, there's. so many nonprofits out here for for. battered women. If we could somehow come. up with a community program where armed. security is available. So that's part of.

that nonprofit resource where that you. actually have an armed security guard. that maybe is in a plane clothes or in a. in a regular car, not a patrol car. outside your house as a deterrent, you. know, to help keep you safe and to. protect you some. So this is something. interesting, too. The Tribune reports. that Minneapolis police, they didn't. forward the case to the DA, to the. district attorney, because Samuels. allegedly told officers she didn't want. to pursue charges. Now you have a police. spokesman who told the newspaper that a. police liaison had actually reached out.

to Samuels and quote assisted her with. the order for protection and talked. about a safety plan. Now that is. interesting because when you think about. that the idea of pursuing a case without. the cooperation of the alleged victim, you don't need the victim per se to. write press charges, right? It's really. the prosecutor's decision if they want. to pursue it, but you would need the. cooperation of that victim in order to. really get a successful case. So, I. mean, that is a struggle here, right? >> Again, going back to the cooperation.

aspect in in these type of intimate. relationships, you know, so many times the victim does. not want to cooperate. I am mandated by. state law in South Carolina. If there is. a victim who is in fear for their life. or their safety or shows physical signs. of abuse, I am mandated by state law to. either obtain a warrant or make an. arrest if the suspect is there. >> So again, I don't know all the. legalities there. It's time law. enforcement starts taking this a lot. more serious though across the country.

>> because when we don't take it serious, you know, or say it's just another. domestic violence. I've already dealt. with five of these today. Every one of. these are unique and every one of these. victims has lived through hell. And so. we need to do our part. That's what. we're called to do. That's what that's. our job is to help people and we've got. to do a better job of doing that. Jesse, >> now court records show that Wright did. get a copy of this uh order of. protection petition on August 29th. But. what happened? So investigators believe. that Wright confronted Samuels outside. her home two weeks later as she got out. of her SUV. Samuel's aunt Caroline.

Brooks told CBS News in Minneapolis, quote, "He stalked and he searched and. he looked and he's been around the block. watching and he got her." And according. to Samuel's sister, Samuels had been. messaging her saying that Wright was. breaking the protective order by texting. her. And now we know that Samuels is. dead. Wright, her body was found with. these bullet wounds. The Tri City Herald. reports that she was shot 10 times. The. Minnesota Star Tribune says police found. 15 discharged cartridge casings nearby. I mean, that says something, doesn't it?

Right. When you look at that evidence, that says something about this alleged. attack. >> Personal. >> Yeah. >> Right. That's what that's what it. signals signals to you. >> That that's what it signals to me. Look, we we saw this almost that that uplo. gruesomeness, right? It it's personal. That's Jesse, we we were talking this. almost that violence reminds me almost. of the Murdoch case that we we covered. You know, when people started floating. this theory, this is just a random. killing. No, we know that anytime that I. see all these gruesome crime scene where.

multiple rounds are just execution. style, there's more to it than just some. random driveby. This was personal and. you know, I'm sure the investigators. picked up on that very soon. Obviously, law enforcement had a pretty easy. suspect to go after immediately. All you. had to do is look at her last post. I. mean, I still get chills after following. this story and reading it that just. minutes after her posting, letting all. her followers know, "This guy's stalking. me. He's following me. I'm scared." And. then few minutes later, she's dead. According to a criminal complaint that.

was reviewed by the Tribune, you have a. witness in a nearby home who told police. that he looked out his window after. hearing gunshots and screaming. He says. he saw Samuels lying on the street, one. leg partly inside an SUV. He says he saw. someone removing things from inside the. car, including a bicycle. You have. another witness who apparently told. officers that the shooter tried to pull. Samuels all the way out, presumably to. take the car himself, struggled to do it. before taking off on this bicycle. Now, police reportedly reviewed nearby.

surveillance video and identified Wright. as the gunman. He's facing seconddegree. murder and illegal firearm possession. charges. Surveillance footage, potential. witnesses. How key is that? >> Huge. And if this thing goes to trial, let's be honest, juries want to see. physical evidence. Um, circumstantial. evidence, you have enough. It's It's. great. But physical evidence in this day. and age is what people want to see. They. want to see ring doorbells. They want to. see and hear eyewitness testimony. And. that neighbor is going to be key turning. to that jury and being able to point to.

the defendant sitting at behind that. table and say this is who killed her. >> And there's cameras everywhere. I don't. think I was just, you know, we talked. about the Charlie Kirk uh shooting as. well. We've been focusing a lot about. that here on Sidebar. I mean, surveillance footage, cameras, they're. everywhere. >> The day and age of getting. away with any type of crime is over with. with today's technology camera system. I. hope so. At least. >> Yeah. DNA, touch DNA. I mean, in a in. the matter of several hours now, the. resources are out there that if you.

know, I leave my hand on this table here. and y'all collect the DNA. If anyone in. my family had submitted to 23 and me or. any of these genealogy testing, they're. going to get a hit immediately. The. Brian Coberger case, prime example. Yeah. >> And so, yes, these, you know, technology. is is key to law enforcement. Same thing. with vehicle tracking and cell phone. data, right? You know, there there's. just no there's a it's hard to get away. with crime this day and age. >> Well, officers they found right within. 24 hours of this shooting, they booked.

him into jail. He's being held on a. reported $1 million bond. In the. Minnesota Star Tribune article, uh. reporter Paul Walsh wrote, "Under police. questioning in jail, Wright said, "I'm. not going to fight this situation. This. is not going to be a hard-fought case.". He also encouraged police to read text. messages between him and Samuels so they. would understand why he killed her. That's shocking to say the least if that. >> almost like a sociopath. >> What is it like? I I'm justified. I. don't think that's a legal defense. None. >> But do you see that often after somebody.

allegedly commits a horrific crime? I'm. just going to tell you what you need to. know. >> No, not at all. I think a lot of times. it's something this horrific uh most. times they just keep their mouth shut. and. rely on investigators in the district. attorney's office to to collect the. evidence. Very rarely do you see this, much less justify the reasoning behind. it. So I want to talk about social media. for a second too. Big role in this case. So both Samuels and Wright, they. appeared to be active users posting. photos, status updates, but they had. very different views on their.

relationship. When you look at this, for. example, Samuels wrote on August 24th, I. have shared my recent experience to. empower others, regardless of gender, to. prioritize their well-being and walk. away at the first sign of trouble. Please remain vigilant and do not. disregard red flags. I'm still learning. to do this. It's never too late until. it's too late. Stay blessed. Chilling to. know that in just a few weeks, she would. be dead. But on Wright's Facebook and. Tik Tok, he was sharing photos of. himself with Samuels in what appeared to. be a loving relationship, saying things.

like, "I miss this." Is that unusual to. you? >> No. I think that you've got someone. that's manipulative and narcissistic. And so, you can't justify or rationalize. with these types of people. Look, I've. been in a relationship with a. narcissistic person in the past. You. cannot, you know, rationalize what these. individuals. They truly in their brains. believe what they believe. And so, hearing you read those text messages. from Samuels is seriously one of the. most chilling things I've ever heard.

She's doing her part on social media. trying to help others who may be living. in the type of situation she's in. Just. to know that in a few short weeks after. this post, she's going to be brutally. murdered. And this is not the first. time, by the way, that Mr. Wright has. been accused of committing a violent. crime. Let's talk about this. How. Minnesota court records show that. Wright's criminal history dates all the. way back to 1992. This is when he was. sentenced to 5 years in prison for armed. robbery. Since then, his court record, it is littered with convictions, including disorderly conduct, contempt.

of court in March of 2008, assault in. the fifth degree, and domestic violence. in April 2010. And according to police, Wright was on supervised release at the. time of the shooting after a conviction. in 2009 for illegal gun possession, a. case from just last year. Kind of gives. us a look at Wright's way of interacting. with people. In May of 2024, Wright was. charged with assault inflicting bodily. harm, disorderly conduct, particularly. brawling or fighting, and damage to. property. According to a statement of. probable cause, Minneapolis police. responded to a bus stop around 7 a.m. on.

May 16th. The document reads, "Victim. TLB reported that he was at the bus stop. when an individual later identified as. David Eugene Wright and defendant herein. was playing loud and offensive music. The victim asked defendant to please. turn down the music or wear headphones.". Defendant became angry and threatened. that if the victim came back the next. day, he would have his boys come after. him. Defendant punched the left side of. victim's face, causing his prescription. eyeglasses to fall off and to drop his.

Starbucks hot chocolate. Defendant then. deliberately crushed and stomped on the. victim's prescription eyeglasses, totally damaging them. Now, Wright. apparently plead guilty to the assault. charge. The other charges were dropped. Chad, you look at that history. What. does that tell you? Makes me wonder why. Wright is out walking the streets at. all. Wright has shown that he cannot be. placed in society without physically. injuring, causing harm to people. Minneapolis needs to do a better job. keeping violent criminals behind bars.

because if they had done their job, this. wouldn't have happened. >> And police, there's only limited amount. that can actually follow him. >> Correct. >> Right. >> Correct. I mean, this is a big city and. Wright's not the only person No, in this. city that's out here doing this. >> No. >> You know, that's the frustrating part. And I get it. I get it from the from the. from the, you know, the people's point. of view. They want answers. Law. enforcement, you know, she posted this, the protection order in place. what are. you guys doing? And so I I will go back. in a city like Minneapolis that has been. very outspoken, you know, on defunding.

law enforcement and things like this, when we start cutting the men and women. in law enforcement that are out there to. keep people safe, >> we we're going to see an increase of. these types of attacks. >> And by the way, as law enforcement who. has to track this suspect down, given. that history, that's very concerning. How do you prepare for that? >> Well, you know that he already has the. propensity to commit violence. We. already know that he is armed with a. firearm. So again, more than likely I. would not just send you and I are beat. cops together and and we find out where. he's at. There's going to be preparation.

in place. What I'm going to do is once. we figure out where he's at, I'm going. to have a tactical unit there that has a. little bit more expertise, more gear, training, and you know, advanced weapons. to take him into custody, I would say. >> And as I mentioned, Samuel's family, they started a GoFundMe page in her. memory. Let's talk about this. It says, "We are asking for your support to. ensure Mariah's boys are cared for, protected, and given the stability they. deserve. Any contribution, whether. financial support, prayers, or simply. sharing this message, will help shield. them from the heavy weight of this world.

and keep Mariah's love alive in their. lives." And this coming Saturday, family, friends, they're planning a walk. in memory of Samuels, ending at the. local police precinct to bring awareness. to her case. really sad situation, but. you hope it doesn't take something like. this for people to get out of similar. relationships, you know, if these. allegations are true or to bring. awareness. But unfortunately, it does. take something like this for there to be. any kind of change. Um, it's a really, really sad case. >> It is, and we all have to do our part.

with friends and relatives just to. encourage them. It's a hard discussion. to have with people, but this is a prime. example as to what happens sometimes. when we unfortunately get mixed up with. the wrong person to date or to hang out. with. My heart goes out to her and those. two little boys that she has. >> Chad, good seeing you. Thanks for coming. on. Appreciate it. Thank you. >> And that's all we have for you right now. here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so. much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple. Podcast, Spotify, wherever you should. get your podcast. You can follow me on X. or Instagram. I'm Jesse Weber and I'll.

see you next time. [Music].