Randy Lee Sellers-Missing 34 Years

Photo Credit: CharleyProject.org

ON AUGUST 16, 1980, 17 year-old Randy Lee Sellers, from Visalia, Kentucky, went to the Kenton County Fair in Independence, Kentucky. He was picked up by the Kenton County Police Department Officers that night for being involved in a fist fight with another individual. The officers believe he was under the influence of drugs. He was charged with disorderly conduct and public intoxication. He also had struck one of the officers after he was put in the squad car. The police had stated they dropped Randy Sellers off one mile from his family's home in Visalia, Kentucky (which was out in the country) as a favor to him. Some reports stated that Randy may have provided unclear directions to his house due to the state he was in that night. He never arrived home and has not been seen since.
Randy was 5'9" and149 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair at the time of his disappearance. He has a scar on his left elbow from an old fracture, as well as a scar above his left eye, and a surgical scar on his right knee. Randy has a birthmark on the crown of his head, and a crooked "R" is tattooed on his forearm. Four of Randy's teeth had not yet erupted when he went missing, and he may have had a crown on one tooth. He had on work shoes, blue jeans, and a black t-shirt the night he went missing. Randy wore a beard on his chin when he vanished. His birthday is September 6, 1962.

There were quite a few theories regarding Randy's disappearance. This first one was that he had drowned in the Licking River. Footprints near the river matched a pair of hiking boots that one of Randy's relatives owned. There were also marks near the river bank indicating someone may have slipped and fallen. These clues on top of Randy's intoxicated state seemed to indicate he had drowned that night, but a search of the river turned up nothing. Authorities now believe those footprints were from those searching for Randy Sellers after he vanished.

Kimberly McClaskey is thought to be a victim of Donald Evans. (Photo Credit: CharleyProject.org)

 Another theory is that Donald LeRoy Evans murdered Randy Sellers. Evans was a drifter who was sentenced to death for the murder of a ten year-old child in Mississippi, as well as another murder in Florida. He claimed he picked up Randy along Kentucky Route 177 in 1980. This would have been the route where police had left Randy that night, which was also the end of their jurisdiction. He gave a very detailed account of the supposed murder. He described a pair of keys Randy had that night, as well as a matching physical description of the teenager. He claimed to have driven Randy to a small state park near water that night, and took him to the woods to offer him a beer. Evans stated it was then that he shot Randy Sellers in the head, and buried him in Kincaid Lake State Park, near the spot he had killed him. Evans assisted investigators in the 1994 search after his confession, even drawing a map of the terrain that matched the park. His remains were never found after a long, thorough search. Still, investigators think his claims are credible. Evans was arrested in Louisiana in 1991 for the murder of 10 year-old Beatrice Routh. He also was convicted for the murder of 38 year-old Ira Jean Smith and 38 year-old Janet Movich. Investigators believe he started his killing spree in 1975, five years before Randy vanished. In 1999, Evans was stabbed to death in the shower by an inmate, with the secrets of all his crimes forever remaining as secrets.
Donal LeRoy Evans also confessed to the murder of Kimberly Dawn McClaskey. She was only 17 years old, the same age as Randy, when she vanished from Illinois in 1983. Her skeletal remains were found in 1989, but she was not identified until 2006, almost twenty years after her remains were found. Kincaid Lake State Park is near where Seller's mother was visiting a friend that night. She believes Randy was attempting to hitch hike his way to his mother's friend's house to see her, and was picked up by Donald Evans. The search for Randy Sellers was reopened in 2006.

This is the park where Evans claims he buried Randy's remains. Nothing has ever been found.

I think anyone who is reading this, who knows Randy, or of him, would like to believe he left of his own accord. The thought of him changing his appearance, name and location is a hopeful one. It is also one many like to think, especially when cases like these involve teenagers. However, I think this theory can be discarded due to the fact Randy had nothing with him at the time he vanished. Would it be logical for an intoxicated young man, with nothing but the clothes on his back to decide to runaway all of a sudden?
I also don't think Randy drowned that night. I have heard of many stories where young adults/teens get drunk and drown in the river, but a search of the river usually will reveal a clue pointing to the individual's fate, whereas this is not present in Randy's disappearance.
I have considered the cop cover up theory in this case as well. Could it be possible that both cops got frustrated with Randy after he struck one of them, that they struck him back, accidentally killing him? If this was so, it would make sense his remains have not been found. With Randy being a minor, I'm surprised they just let him off randomly on a busy road like that at night. I know Visalia was not in their jurisdiction, but wouldn't it have made more sense for Randy to have had a parent/guardian come get him after he was charged? Did cops back then usually just let intoxicated minors off in the middle of a high way at night?

 Randy's mother refuses to stop searching for her son, who vanished after leaving a county fair in 1980. (Photo Credit: Charley Project.org)

 And last, we have the confession of Donald LeRoy Evans. Amongst my research of him, I had found he confessed to over 70 murders, but was convicted of only two. This man was pure evil, and didn't seem to have any motive for rape or murder, he just did it for fun. He also drifted from state to state, picking up most of his victims at rest stops and public parks. Being he was a drifter, I could absolutely see Randy being at the wrong place at the wrong time, and hitching a last ride with Donald Evans. I do wonder why he would pick up a random young male, when most of his crimes he confessed to involved women or girls, although the only apparent reason I could see is Randy was alone at night, and drunk, making him an easy target. His map was said to be accurate to the area and credible, but investigators still believe he confessed to more crimes than he actually committed, and with no remains of Randy anywhere near where Evans' claimed them to be, the question of whether or not he did it remains. If Evans did do it, I think he may have moved Randy to another area. I think it is very possible Randy hitched a ride with someone having poor intentions.

Update: Recently, in June 2013, human remains were found in Kenton County off Conley Road. A man was mowing grass when he found a human skull. The Kenton County Police Department reported they believe the unknown remains belong to a male (not a child). A lot of evidence was discovered at the scene, such as clothes, a shoe and a wallet with Charles' ID. Two families were considered for the identity, with one being Randy Sellers. This is the first set of remains that has been discovered close to Visalia, where Randy and his family used to live. However, investigators believe the remains actually belong to Charles Griffith II, a diabetic who walked away without his insulin in June 25, 2011 & disappeared. It is unknown who the remains belong to, they remain unidentified and both men remain missing.

Randy Sellers age-enhanced photograph. Photo Credit: CharleyProject.org

With no proof of foul play in Randy's case, it could be possible he is still somewhere out there. Please keep Randy and his loved ones in your prayers. His case has been reopened. Randy's mother, Barbabra Cotton, says she prays for her son every night, and believes he will be found. Randy's disappearance devastated her whole family. Ten years after his disappearance, Randy's brother, Tyran, took his own life. If you know absolutely anything about Randy's disappearance, big or small, please report it to:

Kenton County Police Department

606-356-3895

OR

1-800-THE-LOST

Sources:
http://www.wtvq.com/mostpopular/story/ssing-Women-Recovered-Gives-Others-Hope/NkxAmeMXGEmHTiuTCIAK5g.cspx

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/s/sellers_randy.html

http://investigation.discovery.com/investigation/true-crime-stories/donald-leroy-evans/donald-leroy-evans.html

http://www.amw.com/missing_children/brief.cfm?id=33928
http://www.rcnky.com/articles/2013/06/21/report-possible-human-remains-found-southern-kenton-co