A 68‑year‑old Washington man, James Robert Randle, has been arrested and charged with first‑degree murder in the 1992 death of his estranged wife, Janice Randle, more than 30 years after she was found dead in her bed with their toddler daughter nearby.
What happened in 1992
- Janice Randle was discovered dead in November 1992 in her home in Pierce County; her young daughter Katie was in a crib nearby.
- Randle initially told police his wife had likely overdosed and cited a history of painkiller use, and investigators originally treated the case as a possible drug‑related death until an autopsy showed no drugs in her system, leading to a homicide probe that stalled for lack of evidence.
How the case was reopened
- Years later, family members came forward with “witnessed confessions,” including accounts that Randle had told his siblings and one of his daughters that he killed Janice, describing how he staged the scene and put a pillow over her head.
- A deputy prosecutor said Randle reportedly told his daughter, “Just know it was me,” prompting investigators to re‑examine the case from a new perspective and gather evidence that contradicted his 1992 account.
Arrest and legal status
- Detectives ultimately established probable cause and arrested Randle at a nursing home in Everett, Washington, where he now lives; body‑camera footage shows him asking, “What’s this about?” before being handcuffed.
- He was arraigned on a first‑degree murder charge, pleaded not guilty, and was set on $1 million bail, with authorities noting that technological and investigative advances helped solve a case that had gone cold for decades.
Family impact
- Janice’s daughter Katie Wakin and her siblings—still healing from losing their mother when they were very young—said they had long believed Randle was responsible but had no way to prove it at the time.
- Wakin emphasized that her younger sister has no memories of their mother and that they want accountability and for Janice’s story to be publicly acknowledged, even though they still have complex feelings toward Randle as their father.
