Daughters’ relentless search shatters ‘overdose’ claim, leads to arrest in mom’s 1992 murder

More than 3 decades aft a Washington parent was recovered dormant wrong her home, investigators person made an apprehension successful a lawsuit that had agelong gone cold.

In November 1992, Janice Randle was recovered dormant connected her furniture wrong her Graham, Washington home, with her young girl adjacent successful a crib. At the time, her husband, James Randle, told authorities she whitethorn person died from a cause overdose, citing a past past of painkiller use.

The mates had been separated and were going done a divorce. The lawsuit was initially treated arsenic a decease probe and imaginable overdose. However, autopsy results aboriginal revealed determination were nary drugs successful Randle’s system, prompting investigators to reclassify the lawsuit arsenic a homicide.

Despite that shift, lone constricted grounds was available, and detectives were incapable to found probable origin for an arrest. The lawsuit remained unsolved for decades.

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Pierce County deputies apprehension James Randle astatine an Everett attraction installation connected April 1, 2026, successful transportation with the 1992 sidesplitting of his wife. (Pierce County Sheriff's Office)

The probe was revived successful caller years aft household members came guardant with caller information, including accounts of alleged confessions made by James Randle. Those leads gave investigators a caller perspective—and a caller way forward.

Authorities accidental the renewed probe yet established probable origin to apprehension the present 68-year-old suspect, who was surviving successful a attraction installation successful Everett, Washington. He was taken into custody connected April 1.

James Randle was arrested successful his wife's 1992 murder. (Pierce County Sheriff's Office)

Investigators present judge Janice Randle died arsenic the effect of a convulsive conflict with her husband, with recently uncovered grounds contradicting the archetypal relationship from 1992.

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Janice Randle, whose 1992 decease successful Graham, Washington, was aboriginal ruled a homicide, starring to an apprehension much than 30 years later. (Pierce County Sheriff's Office)

"This lawsuit stands arsenic a almighty illustration of however advancements successful exertion and investigative practices tin bring justice—even decades later," the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said.

"Most importantly, it is simply a testament to the unwavering committedness of the detectives and investigators who refused to fto Janice’s communicative beryllium forgotten," officials added. "Their diligence, compassion, and determination person fixed Janice’s household the closure they person sought for truthful galore years."

Court documents obtained by Fox 13 Seattle bespeak the fishy allegedly admitted to 2 household members successful the years aft Janice’s decease that helium killed her and staged the country to look arsenic a cause overdose. Investigators besides noted Janice had disposable bruising and signs of a struggle, though her decease was initially ruled undetermined.

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Janice Randle successful a household photograph with her young kid years earlier her 1992 death, which remained unsolved for decades. (Fox 13 Seattle/Katie Wakin/Kourtney Lewis)

The records amusement the mates had been successful a contentious divorcement and custody conflict astatine the time, and that the fishy had a anterior home unit condemnation and made threats successful the weeks starring up to her death.

Jail records amusement James Robert Randle was booked into the Pierce County Jail connected April 1 connected a first-degree execution charge, with bail acceptable astatine $1 million.

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Janice Randle holds babe successful a photograph anterior to her decease successful a lawsuit that went unsolved for much than 30 years. (Fox 13 Seattle/Katie Wakin/Kourtney Lewis)

The interruption successful the lawsuit was driven successful portion by Randle’s daughters, 1 of whom was conscionable 18 months aged and successful a crib adjacent to her parent the nighttime she died, who helped bring renewed attraction to the probe decades later.

Janice’s oldest daughter, Katie Wakin, credited some her household and investigators for yet bringing the lawsuit backmost to light.

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"The blessing of having a batch of my mom’s champion friends capable successful the gaps for america arsenic kids due to the fact that she was gone," Wakin told Fox 13 Seattle. "I’ve had the pleasance of bonding with my siblings and we’re very, precise close… we each do, due to the fact that of this loss."

Wakin was 14 years aged erstwhile her parent was killed and said she ne'er expected to spot an arrest.

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"I don’t privation to accidental I gave up hope, but I ne'er thought I would spot this successful my lifetime," she said. "I accepted that. I was astatine bid with that—until astir a twelvemonth ago."

That displacement came erstwhile her younger half-sister, Kourtney Lewis, who was conscionable 18 months aged astatine the clip of the killing, began digging into the lawsuit successful 2025 portion trying to larn much astir her parent for her ain children.

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James Randle is escorted by deputies pursuing his apprehension successful transportation with the 1992 sidesplitting of his woman successful Washington. (Fox 13 Seattle)

"I ne'er looked astatine immoderate of the documents… conscionable the basal documents erstwhile idiosyncratic dies," Lewis told Fox 13 Seattle. "When I looked astatine them, I knew. I knew precisely what was happening. And so, I said I request to fig this out."

Together, the sisters gathered accusation and pushed for answers—efforts that yet helped investigators reexamine grounds and zero successful connected the suspect.

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For Randle’s family, the apprehension marks a long-awaited measurement toward closure aft much than 30 years.

Fox News Digital reached retired to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office for comment.