A 68-year-old man has been arrested at a retirement facility in Everett, Washington, and charged with first-degree murder in the 1992 death of his wife. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office reopened the cold case after family members provided new information, including confessions from the suspect. James Robert Randle pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.
James Robert Randle was taken into custody at a nursing home in Everett following a renewed investigation into the death of his estranged wife, Janice Randle. She was found dead in her bed in November 1992, with their toddler daughter in a crib nearby. Randle initially told police she had overdosed on painkillers amid their ongoing divorce, but an autopsy revealed no drugs in her system, turning the case into a homicide probe with insufficient evidence for arrest at the time, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. The breakthrough came from family tips, including witnessed confessions by Randle to his siblings and a daughter. A deputy prosecutor noted in court that Randle admitted staging the scene to his brother and told his daughter he placed a pillow over Janice's head, saying, 'Just know it was me.' New evidence suggests she died in a violent struggle, contradicting Randle's original account. Body camera footage captured the arrest, with Randle asking, 'What's this about?' before being handcuffed. He was arraigned on Thursday, pleaded not guilty, and is held on $1 million bail. Katie Wakin, Janice's daughter and Randle's stepdaughter, told KIRO that the family always suspected him but lacked proof earlier. She plans to attend hearings, noting her younger sister, found near the body, has no memories of their mother. The sheriff's office hailed the case as evidence of how improved investigative practices can deliver justice years later.