I think I just came across the guy who tried to abduct me when I was a young child in Morristown, TN

[UsandThem]

PSA: Just to be 110% clear, this is not a joke thread and not something I am willing to joke about. So if you are here just to make jokes, please just stop and move along. Please be a decent human being. ​

Our newest dog was up sick again last night, so I turned on the TV initially for some background noise. Since many channels are infomercials that late, I saw there was a show called 'On The Case With Paula Zahn', so I figured at least it might be somewhat interesting.

When the show started, it said this case took place in Morristown, TN in 1980, and involved the abduction of two girls, one of which was killed. When I saw this, I was floored. We lived in Russellville, TN during that time, and I was almost abducted from a grocery store in Morristown, TN that year. I was shopping with my mom, and being a young kid, I was busy looking at junk food, toys, cereal, and things like that while my mom was shopping. While I looking at shelf, I thought my mom suddenly held my hand and was ready to go. As I was being led toward the front of the store, I continued to look at stuff on the shelf that maybe I could ask my mom to buy. However, we were heading past the checkout lanes, she was not stopping. As we arrived at the front doors, I was thirsty and wanted to get a drink from the water fountain (like they had in schools). When I looked up to ask her, I noticed it was a guy who was holding my hand and leading me out to the parking lot. I screamed as loud as I could, and he immediately ran out the front door and escaped.

I remember talking to the police with my mom, and some of the employees who saw it, but there was never an arrest for the attempted abduction. We ended up moving back to Ohio about a year later, and I never heard anything else about it.

As I got older, and with the creation of the internet beginning make it possible to see if anyone was ever arrested in the same area trying to abduct young boys, I occasionally tried to see if I could ever find anything and see a mugshot and know if the guy was ever caught for similar crimes. I was never able to find anything.

Now, 40 years later, I believe this is the guy who tried to take me. I remember the thick glasses he was wearing, and the shape of his face from the side when I looked up at him. The mugshots are of him now that he is older and somehow is eligible for parole. The Paula Zahn show had pictures of what he looked like in 1980 when he was first arrested, but I can't seem to find those through Google so far.

Randy Lee May

https://www.wbir.com/article/news/c...-time/51-82cb4197-1c43-4e9b-a01a-eea946ae22bb
https://medium.com/@tmr8706/teen-st...left-to-die-with-murdered-friend-5c968e7fc94a
https://thecinemaholic.com/mary-jones-murder-where-is-randy-may-now/

Edit: Here is the On The Case episode that I watched last night:
https://www.investigationdiscovery....ion-discovery-atve-us/a-predator-in-the-woods

Out of all the things that shaped me in life, this whole thing is #1 by far. After this, I never trusted strangers and I always began watching my surroundings and people. In many ways, I was never truly a kid again as I began being anxious around any adults I did not know. It was kind of the end of being a carefree kid.

Since all of this has brought back a lot of bad memories/thoughts, I'm not sure what I want to do. I might reach out to the surviving victim and/or the sheriff who handled this guy's arrest in 1980 concerning his next parole hearing in 2023, or I might not. Since all of this is so fresh, I'm honestly not sure of what I want to do at the moment. This whole thing just brought back a lot of painful memories......

 

[Torn Mind]

Seems like these predators only get caught years later. Lloyd Lee Welch was one such offender. He eventually got caught but that meant people got damaged. Eventually, the Lyon sisters case was essentially solved.

(A tooth found in his family's property in Virginia "disappeared" in the hands of that local Virginia police. Possibly a corrupt friend of the family was in the organization)

 

[lxskllr]

I think someone was gonna try taking my daughter once when she was little. I always gave her a lot of pseudo autonomy. I'd let her choose her path in public, and I'd stay close, but mostly invisible. A guy started talking her up, a strange woman intervened, and he left. I was waiting to see where it all went. If he had tried taking her, he'd have had the worst day of his life. Never got the chance to find out what he was about.

 

[nakedfrog]

Since all of this has brought back a lot of bad memories/thoughts, I'm not sure what I want to do. I might reach out to the surviving victim and/or the sheriff who handled this guy's arrest in 1980 concerning his next parole hearing in 2023, or I might not. Since all of this is so fresh, I'm honestly not sure of what I want to do at the moment. This whole thing just brought back a lot of painful memories......

I guess my question would be, to what end would you be contacting these people? I'm not sure the surviving victim would necessarily be keen on talking to a total stranger about it. The sheriff, that could make more sense, if you're hoping for some kind of closure or something?

 

[igor_kavinski]

Sickos like him don't even deserve a parole hearing.

 

[UsandThem]

I think someone was gonna try taking my daughter once when she was little. I always gave her a lot of pseudo autonomy. I'd let her choose her path in public, and I'd stay close, but mostly invisible. A guy started talking her up, a strange woman intervened, and he left. I was waiting to see where it all went. If he had tried taking her, he'd have had the worst day of his life. Never got the chance to find out what he was about.

With my experience, I really never let my kids be by themselves in stores and public places. I was always watching them.

And now that they're 21 and 20, I'm sure they got really tired of me always telling them to always watch their surroundings and for people who were paying attention to them for no reason. I really never wanted to scare them, but I wanted them to understand that there are some really bad people out there.

Russellville and Morristown, TN were small farming towns with one grocery store in East Tennessee back then, and before it happened, someone trying to abduct me was nothing I ever worried about.

I guess my question would be, to what end would you be contacting these people? I'm not sure the surviving victim would necessarily be keen on talking to a total stranger about it. The sheriff, that could make more sense, if you're hoping for some kind of closure or something?

If I can verify the date it happened (both my parents are dead, so I can't ask them when it exactly happened), I guess I might write a statement to the parole board about my experience, or maybe even write a statement supporting the family's efforts in preventing this guy getting out. A guy like this does not ever need to be in society again.

It's been over 40 years, so I'm not sure what records the police department would have kept concerning an attempted abduction. I really just need to know the answer since when I saw his picture, it brought back a lot of emotions of what happened. I don't think I will ever fully have closure concerning what happened. I will always remember it.

 

[Torn Mind]

I guess my question would be, to what end would you be contacting these people? I'm not sure the surviving victim would necessarily be keen on talking to a total stranger about it. The sheriff, that could make more sense, if you're hoping for some kind of closure or something?

There is the off chance the parole board would consider his word in their next decision. And if the police care...a chance his old case might be dusted off and given one more look.

Who knows, perhaps realizing one is not alone can help mentally.

 

[UsandThem]

Sickos like him don't even deserve a parole hearing.

Yeah, I agree.

Convicted of murder and attempted murder (and I believe tried to rape one of them). Received a "life" sentence, but with Tennessee's laws, he only had to serve 30% of the sentence, and was even able to reduce that down by taking classes in prison, so his first chance at parole was after only serving 7 years?

I mean, seriously WTF is that shit?

 

[Captante]

Q: What is the statute of limitations for kidnapping in the US?


A: Like murder, there is no statute of limitations for kidnapping. A statute of limitations means that a prosecutor cannot bring charges against you after a specified number of years have passed since the alleged offense.


Get that mf'er..... see to it he stays locked up.


EDIT: Be extremely cautious about contacting any other victim directly... I would speak to an attorney WAY before talking to any cops on your own too.

 

[Torn Mind]

Yeah, I agree.

Convicted of murder and attempted murder (and I believe tried to rape one of them). Received a "life" sentence, but with Tennessee's laws, he only had to serve 30% of the sentence, and was even able to reduce that down by taking classes in prison, so his first chance at parole was after only serving 7 years?

I mean, seriously WTF is that shit?

Good chance that they do it so the criminal himself does not have grounds to assert violations of civil rights such as due process or cruel and unusual punishments. Or common law violations such as malicious prosecution. So, the paper sentence is often just for show and actual sentence is less. There is often a "scoring rubric" to determine the extent of the punishment.

Law operates on generalities set by precedent. Such as "A does act that violates law on the books or by common law". So anyone who is "A" needs to be consistently treated. Even if A has a long history of misconduct, he still gets a right to be heard for a particular incident and not be judged just because of his past.

Jailing people also costs money, and the system would rather make money off of probation.

The system of clemency also is the indirect result of the Civil Rights movement of the 60s. Rather than take the risk with heavy carceral punishments that can trigger an appeal chain to the top, those identified as able to get a competent lawyer are instead treated with kid gloves and clemency.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Jailing people also costs money, and the system would rather make money off of probation.

Criminals like him need to be sentenced to hard labor so they are not a burden on society and actually give something back instead of being a danger. His smug expression on his mugshot tells me that he is irredeemable. Even if he wrote a thesis and got a Ph.D. or heck, won the Nobel Prize, I would not let him free on the streets. His potential for destroying lives is too great. No kid deserves the trauma of being kidnapped.

 

[Torn Mind]

Q: What is the statute of limitations for kidnapping in the US?


A: Like murder, there is no statute of limitations for kidnapping. A statute of limitations means that a prosecutor cannot bring charges against you after a specified number of years have passed since the alleged offense.


Get that mf'er..... see to it he stays locked up.


EDIT: Be extremely cautious about contacting any other victim directly... I would speak to an attorney WAY before talking to any cops on your own too.

At the state level, the limitations has passed.

Tennessee Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws - FindLaw

Chart providing details of Tennessee Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws

www.findlaw.com

"Any crime punishable by death or life in prison, aggravated rape, or rape: none"
For Class A felonies, most are 15 years.

Looks like it has passed. Of course, one could try to argue tolling it or allowing case under the pretense of not hearing it being "unconscionable". But the courts can just flatly deny the request. Then after the denial, the victim would then have to try to advocate for legislative change.

Apparently, crime was enough an issue for some changes to be recently passed.

Tennessee tough-on-crime laws take effect July 1

New laws will be issued Friday, July 1 to protect victims of crime and strengthen penalties for violent criminals, according to the Tennessee General Assembly.

www.wate.com

 

[Captante]

At the state level, the limitations has passed.

Tennessee Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws - FindLaw

Chart providing details of Tennessee Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws

www.findlaw.com

"Any crime punishable by death or life in prison, aggravated rape, or rape: none"
For Class A felonies, most are 15 years.

Looks like it has passed. Of course, one could try to argue tolling it or allowing case under the pretense of not hearing it being "unconscionable". But the courts can just flatly deny the request. Then after the denial, the victim would then have to try to advocate for legislative change.

Apparently, crime was enough an issue for some changes to be recently passed.

Tennessee tough-on-crime laws take effect July 1

New laws will be issued Friday, July 1 to protect victims of crime and strengthen penalties for violent criminals, according to the Tennessee General Assembly.

www.wate.com

I'm not an attorney but it might be possible to bring charges on OP's case under only the federal statute bypassing the state "limitations".... I know that it is for many other offenses.

Best bet is a meeting with an actual attorney to discuss this potentially complex legal case .... it's much too important/serious to left to amateurs.

 

[Torn Mind]

I'm not an attorney but it might be possible to bring charges on OP's case under only the federal statute bypassing the state "limitations".... I know that it is for many other offenses.

Best bet is a meeting with an actual attorney to discuss this potentially complex legal case .... it's much too important/serious to left to amateurs.

Jurisdiction will likely be a difficult argument if everything occurred in the state of Tennessee and no crossing of state lines occurred.

Federal Kidnapping Defense Lawyer | 18 U.S.C. § 1201

Federal criminal defense attorneys explain kidnapping laws under 18 U.S.C. § 1201 that makes it a crime to seize, abduct, or carry away another person.

www.thefederalcriminalattorneys.com

.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Kidnapping_Act

He can probably call a few attorneys just to see if there is merit in a particular approach. It would not be wise to get into a paying relationship too soon, however, as many attorneys are snakes. A law library with Lexis/Westlaw access would be a better start.

 

[Captante]

It would not be wise to get into a paying relationship too soon, however, as many attorneys are snakes. A law library with Lexis/Westlaw access would be a better start.

It really seems like nearly EVERY professional is a "snake" with you.

MANY attorneys will be happy to do a consultation for no charge especially in this type of case. And many attorneys are decent honest people who care... I personally know several.

 

[Torn Mind]

It really seems like nearly EVERY professional is a "snake" with you.

MANY attorneys will be happy to do a consultation for no charge especially for this type of case. And many attorneys are decent honest people who care... I personally know several.

Well, in my research at the law library, I happened to come across an appeal regarding an attorney in which she got suspended back in 2014. After coming home, I looked a bit more and found out she kept on repeating violations afterwards, and recently consented to permanent suspension. Years back, my mom and I were looking for a lawyer to litigate but this exact one charged an exorbitantly high amount for a mere demand letter(like $200 or something). Then the lawyer we did pick basically didn't prepare for the case and was basically deer-in-headlights at the hearing. The also happen to be Chinese, and made me realize that they can be exploitative because they do not fear Chinese-only speakers reporting their bullshit to the Bar.

Learning law is also in essence...learning how to get away with breaking the law, which is why law is taught at an extremely superficial level in all places of education except law school and partially to police.

I stated it would not be wise to get into a paying relationship too soon.

Consultations, yes, as that can confirm or deny whether there is a meritorious case to begin with.

He should also look into victim advocacy groups; someone else might have started up something an org because of issues in the process.

 

[Captante]

Well, in my research at the law library

Erm.... yeah.


I'm done here.... @UsandThem feel free to PM anytime if you want to discuss further.

 

[UsandThem]

I couldn't wait, so I went ahead and pulled out a box of my old pictures and school records, and I know for sure I was that area of Tennessee in 1981-1983 based on pictures I have that are dated. I believe I was 4 years old (1980) when we moved down there, however I'm not 100% positive. Without my parents being alive, it might be tough to know for sure, but when I saw a picture of that guy it just really gave me the creeps.

I might have to reach out to the sheriff's office and hope they have a record of abduction attempt and what the date was. Definitely something I'm going to keep looking into, and hopefully I can figure it out.

 

[Captante]

Just find a sympathetic attorney and have a friendly chat plz.

You wouldn't want to do something inadvertently to compromise any new case/charges.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Damn that's pretty crazy, hope you can find more info, just to get closure, so to speak.

 

[skyking]

Now that you have opened up those memories it is good to be talking through it, if nothing else comes from it. I wish you the best in making some meaning of it all.

 

[PowerEngineer]

Now that you have opened up those memories it is good to be talking through it, if nothing else comes from it. I wish you the best in making some meaning of it all.

Agree!

As you work through this, I suggest you consider whether you want this incident to have a bigger or smaller role in your life going forward. I have to think that some of the actions mentioned in this thread (e.g. contacting victims, contacting law enforcement, contacting lawyers) would give it a bigger role. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, but is this what you want? For what my inexpert opinion is worth, I doubt that after so many years there is much chance of convicting him of your attempted kidnapping or that the parole board will factor your unproven accusation into their decision making process.

Whatever you choose to do I hope it works out best for you!

 

[UsandThem]

Agree!

As you work through this, I suggest you consider whether you want this incident to have a bigger or smaller role in your life going forward. I have to think that some of the actions mentioned in this thread (e.g. contacting victims, contacting law enforcement, contacting lawyers) would give it a bigger role. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, but is this what you want? For what my inexpert opinion is worth, I doubt that after so many years there is much chance of convicting him of your attempted kidnapping or that the parole board will factor your unproven accusation into their decision making process.

Whatever you choose to do I hope it works out best for you!

All very good points.

It happened when I was so young, and it did change me in several ways since it happened. I didn't lock myself away from the world out of fear, but I damn sure made sure of my surroundings and of any people who were acting strangely.

My parents......I'll just be nice and say they were both absent parents, and I had a few close calls growing up because I was pretty much to stay out of the house and not to bother them. Hell, it's not short of a miracle both my brother and I both lived growing up. There were several times that come close to really bad thing happening. So when I had kids, I knew not what to do based on my experiences. In all honesty, I was an entry-level helicopter parent for our kids, and always like to know where they were at / going to. When we took them to carnivals, festivals, parks, etc., I would be willing to keep my distance as not to embarrass them, but I kept my eyes on them. Thankfully, they never experienced anything like I did as a kid.

It was just the show was unexpected, and when they showed the images of him of the time of the murder, from what I can remember of him, he looks spot on to what is burned into my brain. I guess if anything, I'd like to find out if my abduction attempt did happen in early 1980, or if it happed a little later and this guy wasn't the one who did it. These towns were small, and had very small populations, so it's crazy to think of their being more than one person in the same time preying on children at the same time.

Like I said before, I'd all but given up every getting any closure of what happened, I think people who adduct children are people who don't stop doing it. I guess if they never get caught, some of them might stop doing it once they get too old and physically can't do it anymore, but I think for most of them it an sick obsession preying on the weakest people (young children).

I've just got to go through all my records/pictures, and see when we first moved down there, I have a much older half brother from dad's first marriage, and he did visit us a few times when we lived there. He's kind of heavy pot smoker his whole life, so his memory of what year it was might be a bit...foggy this late in his life (he's got to be in his mid 60s by now).

 

[pmv]

I had an analogous experience. Involving a named "authority figure" from my childhood (and what they call "grooming") rather than a stranger abduction situation.

I honestly didn't (and still don't) see much point doing anything about it, but it does play on my mind occasionally.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Criminals like him need to be sentenced to hard labor so they are not a burden on society and actually give something back instead of being a danger. His smug expression on his mugshot tells me that he is irredeemable. Even if he wrote a thesis and got a Ph.D. or heck, won the Nobel Prize, I would not let him free on the streets. His potential for destroying lives is too great. No kid deserves the trauma of being kidnapped.

That was my first thought seeing that too. Worthless piece of shit needs to get the Dahmer treatment. They let that animal back on the streets, and they are all culpable for his next inevitable atrocities. Because that look says he'll fucking do it again.

@UsandThem

The only advice I can offer, is don't hesitate to seek professional help if those thoughts are disruptive enough to your personal "Zen". Obtrusive thoughts stemming from PTSD can have a domino effect on mental health and well being.