W.Va. man who killed his whole family as a teen takes plea deal, avoids going to trial a second time

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (TCN) -- A 22-year-old man has been found guilty and sentenced to life a second time for the 2020 murders of four of his family members.

On Dec. 16, 2020, a relative became concerned when he had not heard from his family members, so he went to their home to check on them. He found them deceased and called the police. The victims were identified as Daniel Dale Long, 37; Risa Mae Saunders, 39; Gage Ripley, 12; and Jameson Long, 3. 

Investigators identified the suspect as Gavin Smith, the stepson of Daniel Dale Long and the son of Risa Mae Saunders. He was 16 years old at the time. Authorities learned that Smith’s girlfriend, 17-year-old Rebecca Walker, motivated him to kill his family members and then helped him hide at her grandmother’s house. Police later found him hiding behind a dresser. 

WCHS reports that Walker testified against Smith at trial. She was sentenced to 10 years behind bars for being an accessory and has since finished her sentence. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that Smith’s family had reportedly forbade him from continuing to date Walker, leading her to motivate him to kill them. 

Smith was sentenced in January 2023 to three life sentences for three counts of first-degree murder, 40 years for second-degree murder, and 10 years for use of a firearm during the commission of a felony. 

According to WV Metro News, the Supreme Court of Appeals ordered a new trial because the jury reportedly received erroneous instructions during Smith’s first trial in 2022. WOWK reports that the conviction was tossed out in June 2025.

WV Metro News reports that Smith was sentenced on July 6 to life plus 80 years for one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder. In return for accepting a plea agreement, Smith will not go back to trial. 

WOWK reports that his retrial was initially scheduled to begin on June 22 and had been delayed due to scheduling conflicts with the medical examiner.

Because he was a minor at the time, Smith is eligible for parole after 15 years, but prosecutors believe he will remain behind bars for life. 

Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Debra Rusnak said, “The defendant obviously waived certain rights, and his right to appeal is one of those, so there’s no chance of us having to come back and do this all over again. We are ensured that Gavin Smith will be locked up and sentenced to prison for the rest of his life,” according to WV Metro News.

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