Month: August 2025

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.

Click here to follow the original article.

Marie Moyer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Several people could get dropped from the lawsuit filed by the family of former University of Missouri student Riley Strain at a court hearing Tuesday.

Strain’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Delta Chi fraternity in March, claiming the fraternity did not follow safety protocols during a March 2024 fraternity “formal” event in Nashville that led to Strain’s death. The lawsuit also claimed Strain’s fraternity brothers did not accompany him back to the hotel when he was kicked out of a bar and didn’t check on him until later.

Jacob Lewis, the family’s attorney, argued that both the national Delta Chi organization and Strain’s fraternity brothers were obligated to both monitor the event and help Strain.

“This was a foreseeable act, particularly for a fraternity that is well aware of the consequences of alcohol, Lewis said. “If you put somebody in a position that they now need help because of your actions, you have taken upon yourself a duty.”

Lewis added that Delta Chi has several training and safety videos as well as an online member portal, so the organization would be able to stay in touch with fraternity activities.

“They regularly communicate with people through social media apps they have, though the portal that they have, they can exert an area of control that would not have been possible even 30 or 40 years ago,” Lewis said.

The defense argued that the fraternity was not responsible for Strain’s actions, adding that it’s unreasonable to expect the organization to closely monitor the events of more than 100 local fraternities across the nation.

“The allegations don’t involve forced alcohol consumption, there’s no allegations that Mr. Strain had a bottle of vodka taped to his hand, but this was free and voluntary intoxication by someone who could legally purchase and consume his own alcohol,” defense attorney Clayton Tompson said. “National organizations do not have sufficient resources to monitor activities and protocols.”

Since its filing, numerous defendants have requested that Devine remove them from the lawsuit. Attorneys agreed on dismissing nine fraternity members earlier this month.

Some attorneys during Tuesday’s hearing argued that the suit was filed in the wrong state, arguing that the core events of Strain’s death happened across state lines.

“We’re going to be dealing with the EMS, police officers, investigators,” said Robert Wulff, who is the defense attorney for one of the fraternity members. “Any witnesses that may come forward in future discussions, all of that is going to be taking place in Tennessee.”

Lewis argued Missouri is the correct state to hold the trial since the event was planned and alcohol was bought at the Delta Chi house. This includes Jell-O shots that were allegedly made, along with transportation being organized to bus members from the home to Nashville.

“Riley Strain was offered and did consume jello shots, he did those things, we claim, the entire trip across Missouri,” Lewis said.

Strain went missing on March 8, 2024, after being kicked out of Luke’s Bridge 32 bar on Broadway and 3rd Avenue just before 10 p.m. Police found his body in the Cumberland River on March 22, 2024. Strain’s death was ruled a drowning, with a toxicology report also finding alcohol and other substances in his system.

Boone County Judge Joshua Devine did not make any decisions Tuesday, adding that there was “a lot to consider.”

Devine did grant the defense attorneys a week to file additional suggestions for their motions, which are due on Tuesday, Aug. 19.

Click here to follow the original article.