Randolph Dial, a convicted killer, started formulating an escape plot as soon as he was given the opportunity to participate in a prison art programme outside the prison’s walls. His proximity to Bobbi Parker, the deputy warden’s wife, also made it simple for him to kidnap her during his escape. The gruesome incident is detailed in “Dateline: The Devil and Bobbi Parker,” which also walks viewers through the investigation that led to Randolph’s capture more than ten years later. We have the information you need if the specifics of the crime have you curious and you want to learn more.
Who Was Randolph Dial?
Kelly Dean Hogan was a karate instructor who was killed on September 16, 1981. Convicted murderer Randolph Dial admitted to the crime. He was consequently sentenced to life in prison and spent several years there before being transferred to the Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite, Oklahoma. Randolph lived in minimum security at the Granite prison, where he even gained the respect of the warden. He was also elected to lead the prison’s art programme because of his reputation as a rather accomplished artist.
By chance, Bobbi Parker, the deputy warden Randy Parker’s wife, was in charge of running the art programme, which made her friendly with Randolph. She was first apprehensive about doing business with him since she was aware of his violent past. But as their main carer, the convicted murderer quickly established himself as a familiar face in the Parker household. Randy, who has always preferred rehabilitation for the criminals under his care, did not give it much thought in the interim. When Randy left for work on August 30, 1994, Randolph was working at the Parker home as usual.
But when the latter came back, Bobbi was gone, and the deputy warden quickly called the police. A prisoner claimed he saw the convicted murderer flee in a car that Bobbi was driving, and a short time later, the guards reported that Randolph Dial had escaped from his cell. She made three calls to others she knew, including her mother, best friend, and sister-in-law, over the course of the next few days, totaling four phone calls. The fourth letter was addressed to Charles Sasser, a former investigator and Randolph author.
However, following the four phone calls, Randolph and Bobbi abruptly disappeared, despite a few sightings, including one at a Galveston, Texas, art show. She allegedly remained with him for more than ten years after he kidnapped her during his escape, and even accompanied the killer when he had to go to the hospital for a heart attack. Bobbi added that she never attempted to flee because Randolph threatened to hurt her and her family if she did. She therefore did her utmost to avoid cooperating even when law enforcement officials tracked the pair to a Texas chicken farm in April 2005.
How Did Randolph Dial Die?
After being saved, Bobbi spoke about her experience in a Dateline interview, claiming Randolph Dial had drugged and abducted her. Additionally, she argued that the murderer who was convicted of her murder detained her against her will and claimed that she was often beaten, tortured, and even mercilessly raped. However, authorities who investigated the Texas poultry farm reported finding a number of sex toys, Valentine’s Day cards, and condom packets inside the residence the two shared. Authorities discovered a love note that Bobbi had written to Randolph Dial on top of it.
In spite of the fact that the mother of two adamantly maintained her innocence, she was convicted of assisting Randolph’s escape and given a year in jail in 2011. On the other hand, the police returned the killer who had already been found guilty to Oklahoma, where he was tried for the prison break. Finally, a judge added seven further years to his life sentence for the escape, and he was sent to prison for life. When Randolph fell ill and passed away on June 13, 2007, at the age of 62, he was incarcerated in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.
