NORTHPORT, Ala. — Authorities have arrested a man in connection with the death of 23-year-old Karen Hollis, whose body was discovered after being missing for over a week.
Randall Lendell Dejourney, 44, is facing charges of abuse of a corpse. The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office noted that additional charges may be filed pending the results of an autopsy, which will determine the cause and manner of Hollis’ death.
Discovery of the Victim
Hollis’ family located her remains on Saturday while searching an area “identified through recovered electronic evidence,” according to a TCSO press release. She had been reported missing to the Northport Police Department on May 8.
Investigators said early evidence suggested foul play may have been involved, though authorities have withheld additional details about the circumstances of her disappearance.
Timeline Leading Up to Her Disappearance
Family members told CBS affiliate WIAT that Hollis’ Life360 app tracked her leaving her Northport apartment at 4:25 a.m. on the day she disappeared, showing her traveling south through downtown Tuscaloosa and onto Interstate 20. The app also recorded a hard braking event at 4:42 a.m.
Hollis’ boyfriend, Zackary Slaughter, told WIAT that a neighbor was giving her a ride to the store when the hard braking occurred. Slaughter also mentioned he had been texting Hollis in the hours before she vanished.
“The last thing she texted me was saying she was going to the store to get a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup,” Slaughter said.
Arrest and Ongoing Investigation
Dejourney was identified as a person of interest last week and taken into custody following the discovery of Hollis’ body. He is currently being held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail on a $15,000 cash bond.
Authorities have executed multiple search warrants during the investigation and have collected “extensive physical, witness, and electronic evidence,” the TCSO said.
The investigation into Hollis’ death is ongoing, and officials have not released further information regarding the circumstances of the crime or Dejourney’s potential involvement in her disappearance.
