Teenager charged with murdering ex-girlfriend posted Twitter tribute hours before arrest

William Riley Gaul has been charged with first degree murder

Emma Walker and William Riley Gaul had recently split up (Twitter)

A teenager in America charged with shooting his ex-girlfriend dead after they split up, posted a tribute to her on Twitter hours before he was arrested.

William Riley Gaul, 18, allegedly shot Emma Walker, 16, through her bedroom window as she slept.

She was found dead in her home in Knoxville, Tennessee on Monday. Gaul was arrested on Tuesday and has been charged with first degree murder.

The couple had recently split up, and Gaul allegedly refused to accept the breakup, Ms Walker’s aunt told the Knoxville News Sentinel.

“She had chosen to move on”, Jenny Weldon told reporters. “He refused to accept it. He chose not to accept her wishes.”

Following the discovery of Ms Walker’s body, Gaul was placed under surveillance by detectives concerned he may destroy evidence.

Gaul posted a series of tweets in tribute to Ms Walker, several hours after she was found dead.

“Living everyday through Emma Walker. I love you beautiful and I know you’re in a better place now,” says Gaul’s Twitter bio.

In a lengthy post he wrote: “There’s not a human on earth that can make the impact that you’ve had on my life. I miss you more than anything. You’ll weigh heavy on my mind for the rest of my life because no one can fill the void that’s in my heart now.”

Ms Walker attended Knoxville’s Central High School, which held a memorial vigil this week.

In a statement, the school’s head teacher Michael Reynolds said: “Our student was a wonderful young lady, a cheerleader and honour student with a promising future, whose life was cut too short, too soon.

“At this time, our hearts and thoughts and prayers are with the family as they go through this grieving process. We thank everyone in our community for their tremendous support.”