KY KY - Randy Lee Sellers, 17, Visalia, 16 Aug 1980 [Archive]

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Richard

11-10-2005, 09:27 AM

Randy Lee Sellers, 17, Missing 16 August 1980 from Visalia, KY

Randy Lee Sellers
Missing since August 16, 1980 from Visalia, Kenton County, Kentucky.
Classification: Non-Family Abduction

Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: September 6, 1962
Age at Time of Diappearance: 17 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'9, 149 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown hair; hazel eyes.
Marks, Scars, Tattoos: "R" tattoo on left forearm. Scar on right knee. Scar on crown of head. Scar over left eye.
Dentals: Available

Circumstances of Disappearance
Sellers, a student at an alternative school in Kenton County, was first reported missing on Aug. 17, 1980. The night before he had been to the Kenton County Fair in Independence. At the fair he got into a fight, and police picked him up for disorderly conduct and public intoxication. But instead of taking him all the way home, police dropped the boy off about a mile from his home as a favor. Sellers never arrived at his house; he has not been heard from since that day.

Donald Leroy Evans, a drifter sentenced to death for killing a 10-year-old Mississippi girl, told police he shot Sellers in the head in 1980 and buried him three feet deep at Kincaid Lake State Park in Pendleton County. He claims to have killed dozens of others in dozens of states, but he has not led police to their bodies. Investigators searched the park in 1994, but found no leads concerning Randy's whereabouts. They have found no evidence that Evans claims are true.

Investigators
If you have any information on this case, please contact:
Kenton County Police Department
Missing Persons Unit
Detective Wayne Wallace
859-392-1940
E-Mail: mailto:wayne.wallace@kentoncounty.org (wayne.wallace@kentoncounty.org)

NCIC Number: M-459537596
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information

The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children

The Doe Network: Case File 14DMKY

Link:

http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/14dmky.html

Richard

11-10-2005, 11:07 AM

Randy Lee Sellers, 17, Missing 16 August 1980 from Visalia, KY...Donald Leroy Evans, a drifter sentenced to death for killing a 10-year-old Mississippi girl, told police he shot Sellers in the head in 1980 and buried him three feet deep at Kincaid Lake State Park in Pendleton County. He claims to have killed dozens of others in dozens of states, but he has not led police to their bodies. Investigators searched the park in 1994, but found no leads concerning Randy's whereabouts. They have found no evidence that Evans claims are true. ...
I am quoting my origional post to add that I was personally involved with the 1994 search of Kincaid Lake State Park.

Kentucky State Police were running the investigation at the time, and they had information from Donald Leroy Evans about Randy's disappearance. A little more about Evans is probably in order.

Evans was from Galveston, Texas. He had been given an Undesirable Discharge from the Marine Corps in 1977 due to his unstable nature and inability to fit in. He then, according to his own admission, began traveling around the country on a killing spree.

He was arrested in Biloxi, Mississippi for the kidnap, rape, and strangulation murder of little 10-year-old Beatrice Routh, a homeless girl whom he took from a beach, with her mother's approval to go see something. When he failed to return with her, the mother notified police. Her description led them to Evans, and eventually he confessed and led them to the little girl's body. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death in Mississippi.

Not enjoying his stay on Death Row in Mississippi, Evans decided to begin a series of confessions to other murders across the country, beginning with the unsolved murder of a prostitute in Florida. He gave intimate details of the crime, but police only accepted his confession when he told them to go the closet of the hotel room where the murdered girl was found, turn and face outward, then put your right hand up into the upper corner. That, he said, is where they would find his "signature" of a full hand print. They checked it out, and found a full set of prints, just as he claimed.

He was extradited to Florida where he was again tried and convicted of murder and sentenced to Death. He continued to confess to other murders in FL, IL, and Texas, and eventually expanded his claim to over 60 murders of men and women in other states, including: AL, AZ, CA, ID, CO, WA, WY, SD, MI, PA, KY, NC, SC, and GA. He promised to assist law enforcement officers in locating his victims in return for the death penalty.

Some feel that it was Evans' remorse over killing little Beatrice Routh which caused him to confess. Personally, I believe that he was incapable of anything like remorse, except that he may have been sorry that he got caught. I know that he was actively campaigning for a move from Florida to a Federal Prison in 1994 when he was talking to Kentucky LE about Randy Sellars, and I believe that he was thinking only of himself rather than about any of his victims.

I listened to some of the taped phone interviews that KY state police investigators had with Evans. At times he sounded very sincere, concerned, and "helpfull", while at other times he was an absolute raving mad man, sounding like someone truly possessed by demons. It was chilling to say the least - even when he was relating so calmly and casually what he claimed to have done with his victim. The guy was pure EVIL.

Evans claimed to have been in the KY area for some time. On the night in question, he saw Randy Sellers walking along the road. This was after police had driven Randy home from the fair in the adjacent county. Evans claimed to have driven Randy to Kincaid Lake State Park, and in a secluded/wooded area there shared a beer with him. Evans claimed that he took a .45 Automatic out and shot Randy in the head while he was drinking the beer. He claimed that he next buried the body near the spot where he was killed, by using a piece of sheet metal for a shovel. Later he changed the story slightly, claiming that it was a hasty burial, and that he mainly put brush over the body. Evans described the area in great detail, and even drew a rough map of where to find Randy's body.

Unfortunately, no body and no solid evidence was located at the park. State police used cadaver dogs with no luck. I was requested to fly to Kentucky to attempt to find the grave using my in-ground techniques. Amomalies were found, but digging there produced only a fox den containing the skeleton of a fox and some deer bones.

It was interesting that three different people (including myself and Randy's mother) were taken separately to the park, and each of us immediately was attracted to the same small area. This was before we were shown the map which Evans had drawn.

Evans story was intriguing. The map was a very good rendition of the area, and it was obvious that Evans must have been there, but no body could be located. Fourteen years had passed since Randy Sellers disappearance. It was quite possible that if the body had been only covered with brush, animals and tractor mowers could have scattered the remains. It is also possible that Evans could have returned at a later date to the site and moved any bones to another location.

When LE called Evans back during our search to ask for further information, he got very belligerant, and abusive. I think that he wanted to get a free trip to Kentucky to "help" them look further.

It is quite possible that Evans did kill Randy Sellers, but probably not in exactly the way he described. His stories were slanted to make himself sound like a "macho man". He had claimed to be a Navy Seal, when in actuality he was kicked out of the Marine Corps before serving a whole year. The idea of him killing with a .45 Automatic in a public park sounds (to Evans) like a macho thing to do, but more likely he beat or strangled Randy - just as he did with his known victims. Evans was so self centered, that I can't even imagine him "sharing" a beer with someone else, as he related in his story.

It also seemed to me that he was trying to upset Randy's mother and family because of a request that he relayed to Kentucky investigators to "ask her if he had a fob on his key ring".

Evans was eventually transferred to a Federal Penitentary, but I do not know of any more of his confessed murders being solved, or victims found. He died in prison before he could be executed.

shadowangel

11-10-2005, 11:31 AM

Evans sounds like a classic schizo psychopath. His intimate recall of specific details indicates he relieves the crimes constantly....I would be surprised if he does not have a collection of "souvenirs" somewhere that assisted him in recalling his crimes.

I believe as you do, a creature such as this is incapable of remorse. The only thing he would be sorry for is getting caught (I imagine he had many excuses for his behavior and, at some point, intimated that his mother was at fault?)

Marilynilpa

11-10-2005, 12:21 PM

I am quoting my origional post to add that I was personally involved with the 1994 search of Kincaid Lake State Park.

Kentucky State Police were running the investigation at the time, and they had information from Donald Leroy Evans about Randy's disappearance. A little more about Evans is probably in order.

Evans was from Galveston, Texas. He had been given an Undesirable Discharge from the Marine Corps in 1977 due to his unstable nature and inability to fit in. He then, according to his own admission, began traveling around the country on a killing spree.

He was arrested in Biloxi, Mississippi for the kidnap, rape, and strangulation murder of little 10-year-old Beatrice Routh, a homeless girl whom he took from a beach, with her mother's approval to go see something. When he failed to return with her, the mother notified police. Her description led them to Evans, and eventually he confessed and led them to the little girl's body. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death in Mississippi.

Not enjoying his stay on Death Row in Mississippi, Evans decided to begin a series of confessions to other murders across the country, beginning with the unsolved murder of a prostitute in Florida. He gave intimate details of the crime, but police only accepted his confession when he told them to go the closet of the hotel room where the murdered girl was found, turn and face outward, then put your right hand up into the upper corner. That, he said, is where they would find his "signature" of a full hand print. They checked it out, and found a full set of prints, just as he claimed.

He was extradited to Florida where he was again tried and convicted of murder and sentenced to Death. He continued to confess to other murders in FL, IL, and Texas, and eventually expanded his claim to over 60 murders of men and women in other states, including: AL, AZ, CA, ID, CO, WA, WY, SD, MI, PA, KY, NC, SC, and GA. He promised to assist law enforcement officers in locating his victims in return for the death penalty.

Some feel that it was Evans' remorse over killing little Beatrice Routh which caused him to confess. Personally, I believe that he was incapable of anything like remorse, except that he may have been sorry that he got caught. I know that he was actively campaigning for a move from Florida to a Federal Prison in 1994 when he was talking to Kentucky LE about Randy Sellars, and I believe that he was thinking only of himself rather than about any of his victims.

I listened to some of the taped phone interviews that KY state police investigators had with Evans. At times he sounded very sincere, concerned, and "helpfull", while at other times he was an absolute raving mad man, sounding like someone truly possessed by demons. It was chilling to say the least - even when he was relating so calmly and casually what he claimed to have done with his victim. The guy was pure EVIL.

Evans claimed to have been in the KY area for some time. On the night in question, he saw Randy Sellers walking along the road. This was after police had driven Randy home from the fair in the adjacent county. Evans claimed to have driven Randy to Kincaid Lake State Park, and in a secluded/wooded area there shared a beer with him. Evans claimed that he took a .45 Automatic out and shot Randy in the head while he was drinking the beer. He claimed that he next buried the body near the spot where he was killed, by using a piece of sheet metal for a shovel. Later he changed the story slightly, claiming that it was a hasty burial, and that he mainly put brush over the body. Evans described the area in great detail, and even drew a rough map of where to find Randy's body.

Unfortunately, no body and no solid evidence was located at the park. State police used cadaver dogs with no luck. I was requested to fly to Kentucky to attempt to find the grave using my in-ground techniques. Amomalies were found, but digging there produced only a fox den containing the skeleton of a fox and some deer bones.

It was interesting that three different people (including myself and Randy's mother) were taken separately to the park, and each of us immediately was attracted to the same small area. This was before we were shown the map which Evans had drawn.

Evans story was intriguing. The map was a very good rendition of the area, and it was obvious that Evans must have been there, but no body could be located. Fourteen years had passed since Randy Sellers disappearance. It was quite possible that if the body had been only covered with brush, animals and tractor mowers could have scattered the remains. It is also possible that Evans could have returned at a later date to the site and moved any bones to another location.

When LE called Evans back during our search to ask for further information, he got very belligerant, and abusive. I think that he wanted to get a free trip to Kentucky to "help" them look further.

It is quite possible that Evans did kill Randy Sellers, but probably not in exactly the way he described. His stories were slanted to make himself sound like a "macho man". He had claimed to be a Navy Seal, when in actuality he was kicked out of the Marine Corps before serving a whole year. The idea of him killing with a .45 Automatic in a public park sounds (to Evans) like a macho thing to do, but more likely he beat or strangled Randy - just as he did with his known victims. Evans was so self centered, that I can't even imagine him "sharing" a beer with someone else, as he related in his story.

It also seemed to me that he was trying to upset Randy's mother and family because of a request that he relayed to Kentucky investigators to "ask her if he had a fob on his key ring".

Evans was eventually transferred to a Federal Penitentary, but I do not know of any more of his confessed murders being solved, or victims found. He died in prison before he could be executed.
What a chilling account. Evans sounds truly evil.

Obviously Evans would never have admitted this, but do you think he may have picked Randy up hoping for a sexual encounter? If Randy rebuffed him, called him a fag or some other derogatory term, that could have precipitated the murder. I agree that it seems unlikely he shot Randy, I would think either strangulation or hitting him with something would be more likely.

It's a shame that this boy's body was never found.

mysteriew

11-10-2005, 12:56 PM

The description of him talking about his crimes reminds me of Rader. However it doesn't sound like Evans integrated as well into society though.

Marilynilpa, that is an interesting theory. And certainly would explain the giving him a beer.

Richard

11-13-2005, 06:33 PM

...When LE called Evans back during our search to ask for further information, he got very belligerant, and abusive. I think that he wanted to get a free trip to Kentucky to "help" them look further. ...
I mentioned that the police called Evans back during the search, but I should have mentioned that they were actually returning Evans call to them. Evans seemed to know in some way that we were searching that day and he wanted to be sure that we were looking in the right place. It was at that time that the Police investigator told him that we had been digging, and that it was hard to dig in that area because of roots, rocks, and hard soil. We had found nothing promising at that point.

He asked Evans if he had really buried the boy three feet deep as he had earlier claimed. Evans then told them that he only had a piece of sheet metal to dig with and that he mainly used it to scoop up leaves, sticks and brush to cover the body. Quite a change of story. But if true, it may have been the reason that no remains could be found after 14 years.

Richard

04-06-2006, 04:13 PM

The Doenetwork has provided a new composite "age progressed" sketch of what Randy Sellers would look like today. Just click on the link below to access it.

-------------------------------
Randy Lee Sellers
Missing since August 16, 1980 from Visalia, Kenton County, Kentucky.
Classification: Non-Family Abduction
Vital Statistics
Date Of Birth: September 6, 1962
Age at Time of Diappearance: 17 years old
Height and Weight at Time of Disappearance: 5'9"; 149 lbs.
Distinguishing Characteristics: White male. Brown hair; hazel eyes.
Marks, Scars, Tattoos: "R" tattoo on left forearm. Scar on right knee. Scar on crown of head. Scar over left eye.
Dentals: Available

Circumstances of Disappearance
Sellers, a student at an alternative school in Kenton County, was first reported missing on Aug. 17, 1980. The night before he had been to the Kenton County Fair in Independence. At the fair he got into a fight, and police picked him up for disorderly conduct and public intoxication. But instead of taking him all the way home, police dropped the boy off about a mile from his home as a favor. Sellers never arrived at his house; he has not been heard from since that day.

Investigators
If you have any information on this case, please contact:
Kenton County Police Department Missing Persons Unit
Detective Wayne Wallace 859-392-1940
NCIC Number: M-459537596
Please refer to this number when contacting any agency with information regarding this case.

Source Information:
The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children
Doenetwork case file 14DMKY

Link:
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/14dmky.html

GraceBlue

05-06-2006, 06:21 PM

Found on Zabasearch.com. Could this be him?:

RANDY L SELLERS Born Sep 1962 More Information
2454 DOUBLE ISLAND RD Recorded: Unknown
GREEN MOUNTAIN, NC 28740 County
www.ZabaSearch.com/ZabaWeb - Background Check

RANDY L SELLERS Born Sep 1962 More Information
2454 DOUBLE ISLAND RD Recorded: Unknown
GREEN MOUNTAIN, NC 28740 County
www.ZabaSearch.com/ZabaWeb - Background Check

RANDY L SELLERS Born Sep 1962 More Information
7320 MAYAPPLE RD Recorded: 08/14/2002
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32211 County
www.ZabaSearch.com/ZabaWeb - Background Check

mooner123

08-01-2006, 03:53 AM

I posted this on the cold case thread, but do you think there is a match between Randy Sellers & DOE 419UMOK?

mogwye

08-01-2006, 07:33 PM

Hello,

This is my first post, though I've been lurking since December 2003 when Laci Peterson "went missing" (thanks to her rotten husband).

Mooner123, I also see several matches with Randy Sellers and DOE 419umok:
http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/419umok.html

Not only do they share very similar descriptions (height, weight, hair color), Randy would be near the estimated age range of DOE 419umok when he was found in 1995. Randy's photo and the reconstruction drawing of DOE 419umok are also very similar. The other match that gets me is the "R" tattoo on the left forearm...

bykerladi

08-01-2006, 10:06 PM

So where was Randy from 1980 to 1995 then? Just happened to get a new life, get a wife, two more tatoos, and then murdered 15 years later? Wouldn't someone have seen him during that time?

mooner123

08-01-2006, 10:17 PM

So where was Randy from 1980 to 1995 then? Just happened to get a new life, get a wife, two more tatoos, and then murdered 15 years later? Wouldn't someone have seen him during that time?
I've heard about more bizarre things than that --especially on websleuths. For someone that doesn't want to be found, it's possible to get a new life. People do it all the time, and, he could've associated with low lifes and that would explain being murdered.

Also, there's no proof that the couple was married. Just because they are wearing matching rings does not mean that they are married. Looking at the lack of quality of his tattoos, (it looks like they are homemade) and where they were found (near railroad), they could've been drifters.

Richard

08-02-2006, 10:24 AM

So where was Randy from 1980 to 1995 then? Just happened to get a new life, get a wife, two more tatoos, and then murdered 15 years later? Wouldn't someone have seen him during that time?
It is possible that Randy ran away and "got a new life" that August evening in 1980, but one has to consider the facts in the case. Would a 17 year-old kid who had been drinking and who had no car or money on him suddenly decide to strike out on his own, leaving his home and family without a word, and then never contact them again?

I feel that it is much more likely that he was in fact murdered by serial killer Donald Leroy Evans.

There was no hint as to what had become of Randy after he was dropped off by the police near his home. He had simply "disappeared" and had been missing for years before Evans decided to confess to murdering him. He provided some very detailed information which matched closely to information known only to the police and family.

At the time of Evans' confession, he had already been convicted of two separate murders and was on death row in Florida. He was pure evil, and was only confessing to this and other murders for his own gratification or benefit, but for him to be able to recall the kind of precise details that he did, has to be considered in determining the probable fate of Randy.

Evans is now dead and cannot answer any questions. When he was alive, questioning him was difficult at best, due to his mood swings and personality. While it was obvious that Evans exaggerated and embellished his stories, he was very accurate in many instances, both in this case and in others to which he confessed.

I personally believe that Evans picked up Randy shortly after the police dropped him off, and that they drove to the state park identified by Evans, and that after sharing a beer with Randy, Evans attacked him. I believe that Evans' story about shooting Randy with "a .45 Automatic" was made up to make himself sound more "Macho", and that he more likely killed Randy with his hands or with some other weapon which would not make a noise.

Evans was trying to get transferred from Florida to a Federal Prison, and as such was "negotiating" using information about unsolved crimes as his bargaining chips. He gave detailed information about where he buried Randy, but unfortuanately, no body was ever found. Evans wanted to come to Kentucky to help with the search, but that was denied. It is possible that he intentionally gave false information so that LE would get frustrated and bring him to Kentucky, but that never happened.

Eventually, Evans was transferred to a Federal Prison, where he later died.

mooner123

08-02-2006, 01:43 PM

It is possible that Randy ran away and "got a new life" that August evening in 1980, but one has to consider the facts in the case. Would a 17 year-old kid who had been drinking and who had no car or money on him suddenly decide to strike out on his own, leaving his home and family without a word, and then never contact them again? .
It would be unusual. I just read another post here from a woman about her missing uncle, William Leon Morris, who had not been seen since the early 1960s. She quoted: "My grandmother firmly believed he would not just "up and leave" his family, and her. My mom comes from a large family and he never contacted anyone. He was only 24, was married, with 4 young children"

lt turned out that he did start a new life was remarried and died in 1995.

Why do people do this?

I feel that it is much more likely that he was in fact murdered by serial killer Donald Leroy Evans.
I agree, but even w/all the info, they still haven't found his body. I don't know what kind of detailed information he gave to LE, but if it so detailed, i think his body should have been found.

I personally believe that Evans picked up Randy shortly after the police dropped him off, and that they drove to the state park identified by Evans, and that after sharing a beer with Randy, Evans attacked him. I believe that Evans' story about shooting Randy with "a .45 Automatic" was made up to make himself sound more "Macho", and that he more likely killed Randy with his hands or with some other weapon which would not make a noise.

It is possible that he intentionally gave false information so that LE would get frustrated and bring him to Kentucky, but that never happened.

Eventually, Evans was transferred to a Federal Prison, where he later died.
He could've confessed to be transferred. I wonder why so many serial killers confess to murders that they don't commit. I was reading about how 60 different people confessed to crimes that they did not commit between 1973-1998. You should read the article from the S.F. Examiner, written by Seth Rosenfield called "Anatomy of a False Murder Confession". I don't understand why people do this, but it happens all the time.

Also, I have a hard time understanding why Randy didn't just go home instead of going with a total stranger. Just to share a beer in the park? That sounds odd to me.

Richard

08-03-2006, 10:22 AM

... even w/all the info, they still haven't found his body. I don't know what kind of detailed information he gave to LE, but if it so detailed, i think his body should have been found....

He could've confessed to be transferred. I wonder why so many serial killers confess to murders that they don't commit. ... Also, I have a hard time understanding why Randy didn't just go home instead of going with a total stranger. Just to share a beer in the park? That sounds odd to me.
Your questions are good ones. I can answer those about some of the details that he gave, but have a harder time trying to make any sense of Evans and his mindset.

Evans stated that he was traveling through the area and that he saw Randy hitchhiking on the road near his house - the same road on which the police had left him. Police, in conducting their missing person investigation, found that there had been nobody home when Randy would have arrived. They stated that there were footprints around the home and near a stream, which they concluded may have been made by Randy.

So it is possible that Randy actually walked the short distance from the county line (where he was let out of the police car) to his home, and finding it locked, may have decided to hitch-hike back to the fair - or perhaps to a friend's house. Thus, he would have been back on the road when Evans chanced to drive by. Randy's motivation in getting into the car would have been simply to hitch a ride, and Evans took over at that point.

Evans was a very disturbed individual. Most of the time, he was a raving lunitic, while there were times when he could sound lucid, normal and very sincere. He had a tendancy to tell stories which made him (at least in his mind) look better than he was. For instance, he had been discharged from the Navy for personality disorders after less than a year of service. Evans, however, claimed to have been a Marine and a Navy Seal at different times.

Evans narrative of events which had taken place some 14 years before matched closely with details of Randy's last night, and the initial confession was offered by him to Florida officials. It was related to the Kentucky State Police, who subsequently questioned Evans by phone. While not the best way to conduct an interview, I don't think that KSP "fed" Evans any facts to embellish his confession. I listened to some of the tapes of those interviews, and Evans came up with various details on his own (when he was lucid and not raving).

Some of the kinds of details that he gave were to accurately describe a key ring with a "fob" that Randy always carried. From memory, Evans drew an accurate map of the park and the area where he claimed to have killed Randy. The park was very close to Randy's home. I was at the place and the map did match very closely to various landmarks. It was obvious that Evans had indeed been to that park - probably on more than one occasion. If he was fabricating the story, he must have begun the fabrication in 1980, rather than in 1994. This was before any kind of internet websites or any publication of details of Randy's disappearance.

I was on site and actually did some of the searching and digging in an attempt to locate Randy's body. An anomally which seemed promising turned out to be a very large rock buried about 3 feet down. Another area of interest was a fox den, which produced the skeleton of a fox and some bone fragments. The fragments were tested, but proved to be those of a deer, not human remains.

Evans had origionally claimed that the grave was over 3 feet deep, and that he had dug it using a piece of sheet metal he found. When no grave could be found, the investigating officers spoke with him again by phone and Evans changed his story to say that he had simply covered the body with dirt and brush.

It is possible that the body may have been destroyed by 14 years of mowing and the effects of elements and time. It is also possible that Evans returned to the site and moved the remains. Evans wanted to come to Kentucky to assist in the search, but that was not granted. It is possible that we were slightly off in location, and also possible that Evans intentionally lied about the grave location.

Why would a serial killer lie about committing a murder that he did not commit? That is a hard one, and my answer is only speculative. There may be a number of reasons. I think the main one would be that he wants to boost his standing in prison by inflating his "score". It is also possible that he is confessing to a crime because the actual killer has paid him to take the heat for it. It is also possible that he is only doing so to get out of further interrogation by aggressive investigators. Maybe also to play games with the interrogators.

With Evans, I think that he was telling basically the truth (that he did in fact kill Randy) but with some exaggeration and misinformation thrown in. He was trying to get some priviledges like cigarrettes, and a transfer to a Federal Prison - but I don't think that a simple confession (unsubstantiated) without a body would have gotten him such a deal. He was upset when we could not find the body.

mooner123

08-03-2006, 02:21 PM

kentuckygirl

11-02-2006, 11:19 PM

The Cincinnati news did a story on this tonight. I am from the area and have heard a lot about it over the years. I thought some of you may appreciate the link... They really didn't offer any new info, other than to say that the new detective on the case has found a new witness to seeing the police drop Randy off (versus the local theories that the police killed him).

http://www.wkrc.com/News/Local/story.aspx?content_id=84CBC382-ACA5-48FA-8D67-323DE2C48868

Boyz_Mum

11-03-2006, 08:38 AM

Thanks for the info, Richard. It makes a lot of sense, BUT, I emailed the Det. handling the case and the Doe Network anyway --just in case. The letter "R" tattoo on a specific location of the body (left forearm) from a missing person and the letter "R" tattoo on the left forearm of an unidentified murder victim is definitely worth investigating. It also helps that they look alike.
If you are still here mooner123, have you heard anything about the email you sent (any response)? I am just reading this case now, I think the tatoo is worth looking into.

Also, Richard, have any television crime shows had the story of Evans? MSNBC used to do a lot of shows delving into the mind of serial killers, it just seems like I have either read about him somewhere or saw something about him... just curious.

Richard

11-03-2006, 12:04 PM

...Also, Richard, have any television crime shows had the story of Evans? MSNBC used to do a lot of shows delving into the mind of serial killers, it just seems like I have either read about him somewhere or saw something about him... just curious.
Evans is dead now, having died while in a Federal Prison. I do not know much more about him, other than what I have written here. He is listed in an "Encyclopedia of Serial Killers" book, and on similar type websites.

He was convicted of only two murders, to my knowledge:
a ten-year-old girl in Gulfport, Mississippi and a prostitute in Florida. He confessed to a lot of other murders as well, but a lot of what he told investigators could not be proven or checked out.

LisainWV

11-03-2006, 02:11 PM

Is it possible that Evans did come across Randy that night, gave him a ride to somewhere else, fanatasized about killing him, but really didn't? Maybe Randy overpowered him and got away? Maybe there was no struggle at all.

I also think it's entirely possible that Randy may have wanted to "run away" that night. It said that he was in an alternative school (maybe he was mentally challenged or because of behavior problems) and getting into trouble once again may have spelled big trouble for him. He obviously didn't want to be seen getting out of a police car in front of his house.

Do we know anything about his family?

Richard

11-05-2006, 09:52 AM

... He obviously didn't want to be seen getting out of a police car in front of his house.
Do we know anything about his family?
I do not know why the police did not take Randy all the way to his doorstep, as it was only about a half mile from the County Line. Maybe he refused to give them his address, or maybe the police felt that crossing the County Line would take them legally out of their jurisdiction. They have been criticised for that action over the years.

Randy's mother was still living in 1994 when the search was being conducted for his body. I did not meet her, but was told that she had been at the supposed burial site only days before I was taken to it. She was very much involved and interested in finding Randy.

I do not know much more about the family. They lived in a farm house out in the country, and not in or near a town.

LisainWV

11-05-2006, 11:21 PM

mooner123

11-09-2006, 04:41 AM

[QUOTE=Boyz_Mum]If you are still here mooner123, have you heard anything about the email you sent (any response)? I am just reading this case now, I think the tatoo is worth looking into.
QUOTE]

I contacted a few agencies, including Team Hope, the detective handling the case, and Doe Network. I heard back from Team Hope (the woman who called me back wasn't familiar with the case and had me call another number), and I heard from Doe Network. The detective never called me or emailed me back.

Apparently Randy was ruled out as being a match to the Oklahoma Doe because of his age and the circumstances (although i believe it could still be him). I believe no DNA test was ever performed. I wish someone would at least check dental records, if not do a DNA test.

Boyz_Mum

11-09-2006, 07:44 AM

I contacted a few agencies, including Team Hope, the detective handling the case, and Doe Network. I heard back from Team Hope (the woman who called me back wasn't familiar with the case and had me call another number), and I heard from Doe Network. The detective never called me or emailed me back.

Apparently Randy was ruled out as being a match to the Oklahoma Doe because of his age and the circumstances (although i believe it could still be him). I believe no DNA test was ever performed. I wish someone would at least check dental records, if not do a DNA test.
Thanks for answering my post! (And also you Richard!)

I often wonder why the authorities don't do DNA or dental records right away in the comparisons to the missing. I do understand this would be costly but it's become so easy today to narrow things down.

In the case of Randy, I would understand the police dropping him off away from home, but only if that was the end of their jurisdiction boundaries. I am guessing this is the case since he was dropped off at the county line? I don't know if I am prone to believe the confession of Evans, I don't think he is the only killer to confess to multiple crimes soley for the noteriety. (I am thinking that Henry Lee Lucas and Otis Toole confessed to many crimes they may or may not actually committed?) The mind of a "kill for fun" person is for sure a puzzle to me.

missacorah

07-16-2007, 11:52 AM

What does it mean by 'the fob' of a keyring that Evans was able to correctly describe, please? Sorry to be dumb!

STEADFAST

07-16-2007, 12:10 PM

What does it mean by 'the fob' of a keyring that Evans was able to correctly describe, please? Sorry to be dumb!

The fob is the part that isn't the actual ring that the keys are attached to; it's the part you hold usually if you're holding your keys. If someone asks you what your keyring looks like, you'd describe the fob.

missacorah

07-16-2007, 03:51 PM

Thanks steadfast *feels embarrassed*

missacorah

07-16-2007, 03:56 PM

christine2448

09-10-2007, 12:43 AM

bump no news on this one?

Richard

09-10-2007, 10:48 AM

''According to police, the arresting officer was driving Randy home when the 17-year-old decided to fight back: he struck the officer.''

I just got this quote from areicas most wanted
http://www.amw.com/missing_children/case.cfm?id=33928 which claims that Randy struck out at one of the officers. Do you think that theres a chance that something could have happened with one of the cops that wasnt revealed that could explain Randys disappearance?

The statement might be true, but I would think that it would have happened prior to Randy being put into the police car.

The police involved in transporting Randy would have been the Kenton County Police. He was picked up at the Kenton County Fair for being drunk and belligerent. Randy's home was a farm in the county just to the south of Kenton County. The police let him out alongside a well traveled highway right at the county line - the border of their jurisdiction.

It could easily be argued that they were negligent in putting him out there, instead of driving one more mile and dropping him off at his home. But it is possible that Randy did not give them his address or directions to it. Possible that he asked to be let out at the county line, so as not to get into trouble with his folks (being brought home by police).

The Kentucky State Police have jurisdiction over investigation of this case. One of their investigators on the case indicated to me that they found evidence at the Sellers home in the form of foot prints to indicate that Randy actually made it home, but that no one was home at the time. They felt that he may have then returned to the highway to hitch a ride.

The case had come to a halt until Convicted Serial Killer Donald Leroy Evans voluntarily confessed that he had killed Randy. His description of the area was amazingly accurate, but no body has ever been found. Evans has since died in prison.

Xts

09-29-2008, 07:28 PM

Hi everyone, my first post :) If I mess up on the rules, know it was never intentional.

I wanted to ask how common those single initials may have been on the forearm. Especially for that time period. And is it possible he left to NV with a female?

The reason I ask is I was looking around last night and found a female in NV with an S on her forearm. Found 5 Oct 1980.

I know folks run off to NV to marry, to have fun, to hide, etc. I ran off there to marry when I was young (with ma's permission, long story) so it donned on me it's possible, just maybe not likely. I've sent the info on to the coroner at that site yesterday. Nothing heard back yet. She must've been found not long after having passed as she's not in bad shape at all. There's a photo of her so I caution you. An actual photo.
http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/depts/coroner/unidentified/Pages/unid_indv_80-1221.aspx

I tried to find something on her but to no avail except maybe here. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

EDIT: I have heard back from the coroner, he said he's going to look into this and see if the killer traveled to LV. I was thinking both of the victims may have went but you really never know. Sometimes travels are as scattered as thoughts.

Xts

10-01-2008, 08:05 PM

I didn't see an edit button so I have to make a new one here. Sorry, not sure how to say this otherwise.

I see it's been right at a year since this was discussed. My mom, the other night, mentioned of the possibility of the initials being his, but on both of their arms. The girl I mentioned has S on the right forearm, his is an R on the left. If they stood side by side, it'd show RS, his initials.

The coroner is polite and responsive, he will get back with me if there's anything there. He does say it's possible.

shadowangel

10-01-2008, 08:50 PM

It's an interesting theory...Definitely thinking outside the box.

kfitz

10-22-2008, 01:51 PM

I was just wondering if there are any new developments on this case, I see that no one has discussed this for a while

REXMorgan

06-15-2009, 06:03 PM

First timer here, I ran across an old post concerning Randy Lee Sellers who went missing in 1980. After reading the ramblings of the local members I had to join and write down what I know/presume to be the truth.

I grew up in Morning View Kentucky and was friends with Randy's brother, Tyran, who committed suicide in 1991. I believe that one of the contributing factors in his suicide was the disappearance of his older brother, whom Tyran looked up to. I remember Randy, who was five years older than myself, as one of the local tough guys and back then I was a little kid and scared to death of him. Not to tarnish his memory but Randy was in and out of trouble most of his teen years and the local cops were quite familiar with him.

This is what is known as common knowledge in and around our small town: Randy had been arrested numerous times...for the police to say they were given wrong directions or misled as to where he lived makes no sense. If a policeman is escorting a minor home and having another policeman follow him, isn't that a little suspicious? Why does it take two police cars to take home a 17 year old? If a policeman is taking home a minor, isn't it part of his duty to deliver him to his parents instead of drop him off in the middle of nowhere? One of the policemen stated he "dropped him off about a mile away as a favor"? Bull****, period.

Morning View is a quiet little country town along the Licking River, everyone knows everyone. The local police were known not to put up with troublemakers and for one of the policemen to admit Randy struck him in the back of the head, then it is obvious what was to come next. If anyone seriously thinks this happened and there was no recourse, then they have never dealt with policemen, period. Hell, hit me in the head and I will hit you back.

Randy was being taken for one of the infamous "rides" so many cops were known for back in the 70's and 80's. His "tracks" were not found on or around the house, they were conveniently found on the river bank about 1/2 mile from his house, completely in the wrong direction. Of course, they were found by a policeman, not one of the hundreds of searchers. Afterwards, a statement was put out that they could not verify whose tracks they were, they could have been animal tracks.

I have been looking into this case for years because I knew the family and a terrible wrong has never made right. What turned out to be one murder eventually lead to a mother losing both of her sons. I had asked the family's permission to write a book about this but due to the Cotton's understandable grief, they declined to participate and I honestly did not feel morally ok to proceed. This has weighed heavily upon my conscience and I am still somewhat reticent to do it, but as time passes, I feel more and more inclined to do so.

If anyone has anything to add, I would love to hear what their opinion is. For people to think Donald Leroy Evans killed Randy,well, they should have their heads checked. He was known for killing women, Randy was a tough kid and I cannot imagine anyone getting the drop on him. Morning View is so far off the beaten path, people whom have been there have a hard time finding it. No way Evans was just out driving through Morning View. He was looking for publicity and deep down he knew he was safer outside of jail instead of in it. In the end, he was right about that.

Richard

07-21-2009, 01:21 PM

bumping case up...

imamaze

08-18-2009, 11:22 PM

The Charley Project: Randy Lee Sellers (http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/sellers_randy.html)

America's Most Wanted: Randy Sellers (http://www.amw.com/missing_children/brief.cfm?id=33928)

Current Age
46
Missing Since
8/16/80

Search Continues Nearly 30 Years Later
After nearly three decades of searching and hoping, there are still no clues as to what happened to Randy Sellers. His mother has become an advocate for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and works to counsel parents of missing children, but she hopes that someday she will know what happened to her own son.
>>The Full Story...

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PubCaseSearchServlet?act=viewChildDetail&caseNum=601897&orgPrefix=NCMC&seqNum=1&caseLang=en_US&searchLang=en_US)

Case Type: Non Family Abduction
DOB: Sep 6, 1962 Sex: Male
Missing Date: Aug 16, 1980 Race: White
Age Now: 46 Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
Missing City: MORNING VIEW Weight: 149 lbs (68 kg)
Missing State : KY Hair Color: Brown
Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Hazel
Case Number: NCMC601897
Circumstances: Randy's photo is shown age-progressed to 43 years. The police department dropped Randy off a couple of miles from his home and he has not been seen since.

Kat

08-19-2009, 12:28 AM

Welcome RexMorgan, I was just reading Randy's charley page yesterday. I had been looking up something else and recognized his face from seeing that he had been missing many years ago.

I did not know Randy, but I kept an eye on his case because I am originally from KY.

What has been my take on it all these years? He was murdered by a cop.

Now that is a very strong statement to make, but I stand by it.

I didn't hesitate to type it either. JMHO.

amber1

08-13-2010, 01:02 AM

It's a possibility that this is a cop cover up, but at the same time it deems unlikely. Odd that he dropped him off a mile away from where he lived though. Has this officer been investigated?
How populated was this road Randy was dropped off on?
Is it possible he hitched hiked or had some beef with someone who happened to be driving down the street and saw it as an opportune moment to strike?
This case seems so bizarre to me,

Kat

08-16-2010, 12:22 PM

Randy has been missing 30 years today. Come home soon.

epochmiss

08-16-2010, 12:48 PM

I just finished reading through this thread and it just sticks with me, the idea of a police cover up, IMO as well. I honestly feel that Randy met with foul play after he struck the police officer on the head that night. I have family members that are police officers, and you would think I would be fiercely protective of the profession as a result, and perhaps in denial about corruption and misbehavior, but they themselves are grounded about the wrong doings in their profession. Most, like my family, are decent, committed, loyal and hardworking people. Once in a while, there is a bad egg, just like anyplace else. In my heart I believe Randy was a victim of police brutality and a cover up. It's Ocam's razor at work, and is the simplest explanation for his vanishing that night thirty years ago today.

What a terrible anniversary. My prayers for his family.

amber1

08-17-2010, 11:54 PM

I must agree. That's why Randy hasn't come home 30 years later.

Richard

08-20-2010, 09:07 AM

It has been documented from the earliest investigation of Randy's disappearance that he had been involved in a disturbance of some sort at a county fair. Police officers from that County drove him to the county line (the end of their jurisdiction) and put him out of their squad car. From that point, Randy was about a mile or less from his home, which was out in the country. It is possible that he refused to tell them exactly where his home was, or perhaps he wanted to stop by some other place first. ...All speculation at this point.

What is known is that serial killer Donald Leroy Evans, while on death row for two separate murders (one in Mississippi and one in Florida) confessed to having murdered Randy Sellers. The information that he gave was very specific and much of it matched known details of the area and situation.

Evans claimed to have picked Randy up on the highway (the one which he was left at by the police). He described the boy and described a set of keys that he had. Evans stated that they drove to a small state park near water and that they went into the woods where Evans offered Randy a beer. He claims that he shot Randy in the head with a .45 Automatic pistol and that he buried him near the spot where he killed him.

Evans drew a map of the area from memory which matched very closely the terrain and features of the area. The area was searched very thoroughly, but no body was found so many years later.

Evans contacted the case investigator while the search was underway and insisted that he was there and even tried to offer further information to assist in the location of the body. Unfortunately, no body was ever found.

It is, of course, possible that Evans had buried him elsewhere, or that he had later retrieved and moved the remains. And also possible that he was lying to investigators as part of a game, but there was enough information to indicate that Evans could have and actually did murder Randy.

Evans was transferred from Florida to a secure Federal prison (which was one of his conditions of cooperation) and he has since died.

MontanaMan

10-07-2011, 08:08 PM

Hi everyone.....I've been a lurker for years on this site. I decided it was finally time to join! This case has bothered me for years. I've researched it in every way and really, the only explanation that makes sense is that it was murder by cop. I too, will stand by my conviction that the cops back then just got sick of him ( especially if he did indeed hit the one cop on the way home ) and took him for a ride to eternity. That is why his body has never been found and never will be found. It makes the most sense in my opinion, whatever that's worth. On another note, I'm glad to finally be a part of Websleuths and I will do my best to help in every way I can. I have dedicated the rest of my life in helping solve missing persons cases, the unidentified and the murdered and bringing closure to the many suffering loved ones and friends out there who have lost someone dear. Bear with me as I acclimate to this site and find my place. Thanks!

Richard

10-08-2011, 09:05 PM

MontanaMan,

Welcome to Websleuths! Hope to hear your comments and thoughts on a lot more of these unsolved cases.

I never spoke personally with Donald Leroy Evans, but I did hear a tape of a conversation that he had with the main State Police investigator of Randy's case. The guy was pure evil.

Evans was never arrested or charged with anything in Kentucky as far as I know. He was arrested and convicted of abducting and killing a little girl in Mississippi.

While in a Mississippi prison, he contacted Florida police and confessed to killing a woman in a Florida Motel room. Florida police initially did not believe him for some reason, even though he gave them a lot of specific information. He then told them to go back to the room where she had been killed, enter the closet and check in the upper right hand corner, that they would find his hand print there. It was that information that proved correct. He was brought to Florida, tried and convicted and put on their death row.

It was when he was in the Florida Prison that he contacted Kentucky State police about Randy Sellers. Again, he gave them very specific information, most of which checked out, in particular he described a set of keys that he had taken from Randy which had a unique Fob. He stated that he killed Randy and buried him in a State Park. The map that he drew from memory was quite accurate and we located all of the major features like the boat dock, roads, woods, fields, etc. - but Randy's body was never found.

amber1

03-12-2012, 01:29 PM

Richard

03-22-2012, 08:59 AM

I still see a possible police cover up. How Active is this case still?
I certainly don't see a sexual predator likely to pick Randy up, or Randy being picked up, robbed or killed, he doesn't seem to have had much money or anything on him. An altercation with someone else doesn't seem likely, it was with the cop.

While it is possible that there could have been an incident involving police killing Randy and disposing of his body, this seems unlikely to me. There were two police officers who escorted him to the county line and both would have had to have been involved in such a murder.

Although, based on the sparse information available in 1980, abduction by a sexual predator would seem unlikely, the fact is that a known, convicted sexual predator confessed to murdering Randy has to be seriously considered.

Donald Leroy Evans stated that he picked Randy up and offered him a ride. He claimed to have driven Randy to a small state park near a lake and said that he shared a beer with him.

Evans never said that he did anything sexual with Randy, and in fact, said that he shot him in the head with a .45 Automatic pistol. He said that he then buried him near the place where Randy died, using a piece of metal sheeting for a shovel, and covering the body/grave with brush. He described being close enough to the road to see any cars driving by.

Evans did not say what his reason or motive was in killing Randy, but his demeanor and style was to try to come across as a Macho Man. He bragged about being a military commando of some sort, when in fact, his only military service was that he had once been a young Navy recruit who was discharged within a year of enlistment due to mental problems.

Evans did know a good deal of information about Randy and the geographic area of the alleged murder/burial site. And he was quite adamant about having murdered the boy. When the grave could not be located (thus not providing the forensic proof) Evans became quite upset. For some reason, he really wanted to have this case solved and attributed to him.

Evans was eventually transferred from Florida's death row to a Federal Penitentary where he died several years ago. So perhaps he was able to trade information about other murders that he had committed for the more choice placement.