Columbia/Boone County Crimestoppers accepts leads in unsolved homicide cases
Meghan Drakas
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia/Boone County chapter of Crimestoppers typically offers rewards in cases involving warrants and drugs. However, the organization has a role in helping solve the city’s unsolved homicides, too.
Crimestoppers board president and former Boone County Sheriff’s Office deputy John Fields said the local chapter was founded in 1980. Fields estimates the local chapter’s work has helped lead to over 250 arrests.
The organization helps law enforcement by providing money for information leading to felony arrests.
Fields said that most of the tips Crimestoppers receives concerns warrants and drug cases, but there’s a large push for information on unsolved homicides. He estimates the organization has helped solve one or two homicides over the years.
“It’s unfortunate that not too many people give information on homicides, and that’s what we want,” Fields said. “We’re actively working with some other victims of homicides right now … we know that through working with the mothers of some of these victims of homicides that there were witnesses. And we would love for these witnesses to come forward and give these mothers some closure.”
According to the Columbia Police Department, 16 unsolved homicide cases with 18 victims dating back to 1985 remain unsolved. Those cases include Edmond ‘Ricky’ Randolph Jr., who was killed on June 25, 2016, on Leeway Drive in northeast Columbia.
Authorities investigate the homicide of Edmond ‘Ricky’ Randolph Jr. on June 25, 2016, on Leeway Drive in Columbia, Mo.
Police say the 25-year-old was shot to death inside an apartment. No arrests have been made in the case.
Columbia Police say Crimestoppers is a great tool, but in a homicide case, police say it’s helpful if witnesses contact police directly.
“Crimestoppers is a great tool for remaining anonymous,” CPD Lt. Matt Gremore said. “There’s a time and a place for that in an unsolved homicide investigation. What I really need to have is for someone to come forward to the police department that has that information firsthand. They can start with Crimestoppers to provide that.”
Fields said that throughout the years, Crimestoppers has received several tips on this case. Gremore said the last tip Crimestoppers received on the Randolph case was in 2021.
Edmond ‘Ricky’ Randolph Jr., date unknown (Credit: Nicole Craig)
More than a year after Randolph’s murder, Columbia/Boone County Crimestoppers amended its policy to accept personal donations in addition to the standard reward money. This was changed due to an anonymous individual wishing to donate $5,000 for any tip leading to the arrest of Randolph’s killer.
“This happened right before I started with Crimestoppers, but I don’t think we had too many tips,” Fields said. “We didn’t get anybody to come forward.”
Since 2017, Fields said, the reward for Randolph’s case has dropped back down to the standard number — $2,500.
Fields said the organization is funded through private donations.
“Our model is, if you see something, say something because we know you know something, just get paid for what you know,” Fields said.
Fields said tipsters are never asked for their name or phone number, but are assigned a number. Individuals are encouraged to call back at a later time with their number to see if their tip led to an arrest, and they can collect a reward.
“There’s a lot of people that call in information, but unfortunately, a lot of them don’t call back to get the reward,” Fields said. “So we’ve had several cases that people have called in to give us information on, that have led to an arrest.”
Watch the latest “Mid-Missouri’s Cold Case Files: The Case of Edmond ‘Ricky’ Randolph Jr.” at 10 p.m. Thursday on ABC 17 News.