In November 1992, Janice Randle was found dead in her home in Graham, Washington, with her young daughter in a crib nearby. Initially, her husband, James Randle, suggested the death may have been due to a drug overdose, given her history with painkillers. The couple had been separated at the time, undergoing a divorce.
However, after an autopsy revealed no drugs in Janice’s system, the case was reclassified as a homicide, though investigators lacked sufficient evidence to make an arrest. The case went cold for decades.
Revival of the Investigation
In recent years, new information emerged that revived the case. Family members came forward, sharing claims of alleged confessions by James Randle, and other critical leads were uncovered. Investigators now believe Janice died following a violent struggle with her husband, with evidence from the fresh investigation contradicting the original 1992 account.
In a significant breakthrough, authorities established enough evidence to arrest James Randle, who was living in a care center in Everett, Washington. On April 1, 2026, at the age of 68, Randle was taken into custody on first-degree murder charges.
Key Developments
Court records reveal that James Randle allegedly admitted to two family members in the years following Janice’s death that he killed her and staged the scene to look like a drug overdose. Additionally, investigators found bruising on Janice’s body and signs of a struggle, which had initially been overlooked or deemed undetermined.
Further investigation revealed that at the time of Janice’s death, the couple was embroiled in a bitter divorce and custody battle. James Randle had a history of domestic violence and had made threats in the weeks leading up to her death. Jail records show Randle was booked into the Pierce County Jail with bail set at $1 million.
Family’s Pursuit of Justice
The case gained renewed attention largely due to the persistence of Randle’s daughters. One of them, Kourtney Lewis, who was just 18 months old when her mother was killed, began researching the case in 2025 to understand her mother’s life better. Her efforts, combined with support from her older sister, Katie Wakin, who was 14 years old at the time of the murder, helped push the investigation forward.
Wakin, who had almost accepted that justice might never come, expressed profound gratitude upon hearing of the arrest. “I don’t want to say I gave up hope, but I never thought I would see this in my lifetime,” Wakin said.
Her younger half-sister, Kourtney Lewis, added that when she revisited the documents surrounding her mother’s death, she knew something was wrong and was determined to uncover the truth. “I knew exactly what was happening,” she said.
A Long-Awaited Step Toward Closure
The arrest has provided Janice’s family with a long-awaited sense of closure after 30 years of unanswered questions. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office commended the detectives’ unwavering commitment to the case. “This case stands as a powerful example of how advancements in technology and investigative practices can bring justice — even decades later,” the department stated.
Janice Randle’s daughters, along with the law enforcement officers involved, now hope this case will be a final step toward justice for Janice, whose story has remained in the hearts of her loved ones for over three decades.
