MORGANTOWN — County detectives believe Alexa Randolph was killed in the garage of her son’s paternal grandfather before her body was loaded into the back of her SUV and taken to a shopping center parking lot 11 miles away.
That’s according to a criminal complaint for Gary D. Smith II, 60, of Morgantown, who is charged with first-degree murder by the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office. The Dominion Post obtained the complaint Thursday. There were no details of how Randolph was killed.
According to the complaint, Randolph’s last known location was in the area of Smith’s home on Arkwright Avenue, off of the Mileground. The complaint said her 5-year-old son was staying at Smith’s home.
Smith also “provided intimate information of the crime, that has since been corroborated,” and “made several unsolicited statements implicating himself in Alexa Randolph’s death,” the complaint, written by Detective J. Wilhelm, said.
Deputies arrested Smith, who was cooperative, Wednesday.
Smith is being held in North Central Regional Jail without bond. West Virginia law requires bond be set by a circuit court judge in cases where the charged offense carries a possible life sentence. Magistrates can set bond in cases involving other crimes.
Randolph, 32, was last seen Jan. 28 outside her apartment on Overdale Street, in Greenmont. She was reported missing later that day.
Joe Dillinger, Randolph’s apartment manager, said she never caused any problems. Dillinger said he talked to her “here and there” but she mostly kept to herself.
Randolph’s neighbor, Dakota Basem, said he never met her. He remembered she would get large Kroger deliveries and remembers seeing her vehicle outside.
As of Monday, no one had been by to clean out her apartment, Basem said. If and when that does happen though, he hopes to offer them lunch and his condolences.
Her vehicle, a white Ford Escape, was found in the parking lot of Walmart on Hornbeck Road Jan. 29 and her body was discovered inside the cargo area of the car.
The medical examiner’s office in Charleston ruled the cause of death was homicide.
Sheriff Perry Palmer said detectives continue to investigate the crime.
Investigators are asking for help from anyone who may have seen someone walking Grafton Road the evening of Jan. 28. If you think you have information, call the Mon County Sheriff’s Detectives Division at 304-291-7218.
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