Ryan Wasilausky

Ryan Wasilausky, a 20-year-old male from Dublin, California, was a third-year business major at Cal State East Bay with an unsurpassed drive to achieve his goals. Remembered as a self-starter who loved to shower his family with gifts, Ryan enjoyed cooking, spending time with friends, and traveling with his girlfriend, 20-year-old Giovanna “Gigi” Giannini. Gigi, who was from Daly City, was described as a loving and beautiful young woman whose smile could light up a room. She was just two days away from her 21st birthday. The couple lived together in an apartment in Emeryville.

On the morning of September 28, 2019, Ryan and Gigi were in Oakland, planning to attend the Rolling Loud Bay Area hip-hop festival at the Coliseum. They had offered a ride to an acquaintance, Keith Riley. At around 11:07 a.m., their outing turned tragic. On the 500 block of Douglas Avenue in East Oakland, both Ryan and Gigi were shot inside their car. Their silver Ford Focus then careened into a nearby house. When police responded to the crash, they discovered the young couple inside, both deceased from gunshot wounds to the head.

The Oakland Police Department launched an investigation that quickly focused on Keith Riley, who was 36 at the time. Using evidence from surveillance footage, witness statements, text messages, and phone records, investigators placed Riley with the couple just before and after their deaths. The records confirmed that Ryan had called Riley to offer him a ride. Police determined that after the shooting, Riley fled the scene and called a friend to pick him up. Prosecutors alleged that the motive was robbery, stating that Riley had stolen a Cuban gold chain and other jewelry from Ryan.

Keith Riley was arrested on October 3, 2019. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged him with two counts of murder with the special circumstances of committing multiple murders and murder during a robbery, as well as a charge of second-degree robbery. These charges made him eligible for a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. After a preliminary hearing in 2022, a judge ruled there was "no doubt" Riley was responsible and ordered him to stand trial.

The trial was scheduled to begin on January 8, 2024. On that day, in a legal maneuver to avoid trial, Keith Riley pleaded no contest to two counts of first-degree murder with gun enhancements. The plea cleared the way for him to be sentenced to life in prison. As of January 2024, Riley was awaiting his sentencing hearing.