KS KS - Randy Leach, 17, Linwood, 15 Apr 1988

[Jayhawk78]

Stranger Creek is a deep, fast moving creek that builds up way to the north. When the Kansas River is backed up, which happens quite a bit in the spring, Stranger fills up pretty deep. Its steep banks. The KBI guy said they found another car by the RR bridge just a few yds downstream from the Golden Rd bridge (no longer there), and I believe another car further down. I wonder how Randys car didnt get hung up on these two cars, and possibly more in there. I personally dont think his car is in there.

 

[Alleykins]

Stranger Creek is a deep, fast moving creek that builds up way to the north. When the Kansas River is backed up, which happens quite a bit in the spring, Stranger fills up pretty deep. Its steep banks. The KBI guy said they found another car by the RR bridge just a few yds downstream from the Golden Rd bridge (no longer there), and I believe another car further down. I wonder how Randys car didnt get hung up on these two cars, and possibly more in there. I personally dont think his car is in there.

Thank you for the insight.
We have a large stream in my home town that goes through phases of being deep and turbulent, to shallow and trickling, depending on rainfall and snow melt. It empties out into a tidal river, which influences its depths, too.
Every spring we have a canoe race. Some years, paddlers have to port the canoes in several places because its so low or because it's so high, they can't go under the bridges. It has high cliff banks in some parts of it, too.
On March 1 of this year, a man fled from police and jumped into the stream. He wasn't even being sought after, just saw the cops, panicked and jumped. They tried to save him but he refused the help.
We still haven't found him. By now, his body most likely made it the river and is far down it, possibly near where I live now, which is on the bay about 18 miles away.
Here is an article about their search efforts. It shows a picture of the stream and one of the bridges that cross over it that I was talking about. You can see the ice jam and how high it is. Sometimes, the water level is up to the bridge itself, other times, it's maybe a few inches deep. The location of this bridge is close to where it meets the river.
Weekend search for Bangor man who went into Kenduskeag Stream comes up empty

 

[Bit of hope]

Thank you for the insight.
We have a large stream in my home town that goes through phases of being deep and turbulent, to shallow and trickling, depending on rainfall and snow melt. It empties out into a tidal river, which influences its depths, too.
Every spring we have a canoe race. Some years, paddlers have to port the canoes in several places because its so low or because it's so high, they can't go under the bridges. It has high cliff banks in some parts of it, too.
On March 1 of this year, a man fled from police and jumped into the stream. He wasn't even being sought after, just saw the cops, panicked and jumped. They tried to save him but he refused the help.
We still haven't found him. By now, his body most likely made it the river and is far down it, possibly near where I live now, which is on the bay about 18 miles away.
Here is an article about their search efforts. It shows a picture of the stream and one of the bridges that cross over it that I was talking about. You can see the ice jam and how high it is. Sometimes, the water level is up to the bridge itself, other times, it's maybe a few inches deep. The location of this bridge is close to where it meets the river.
Weekend search for Bangor man who went into Kenduskeag Stream comes up empty

This whole ridicule, over done, new privacy laws in Europe are so annoying...a lot of sites are no longer accessible...It feels like cencorship....pfffff.

 

[artsy_ann]

The thing that I think is interesting, is if you look at Randy's NAMUS page there have been 14 does whose DNA has been compared to Randy and eliminated as possible matches. Not one of them are from Kansas or Missouri. Almost all are from Virginia (I'm guessing that state has a huge budget for this type of thing?) The fact that no one has bothered to compare his DNA to any does in the state of Kansas, to me, is proof that they're not looking for him at all. Maybe because they already know what happened to him?
And I agree, if they really think he drove into Stranger Creek, why not release the files.
And if they really think Brinkley and Montgomery killed him, one is already dead and the other is in his 70s and already in prison... So it's not like the police are worried about getting them convicted for Randy's murder... No harm in releasing the files.

 

[artsy_ann]

From the article


How can it be too far downstream to be found? Is there a black hole? I guess I would have to see the terrain in order ot understand how it could be too far downstream unless it was washed out to sea or into a bigger body of water. Is that what his meaning is? Anyone know?

That must mean they're thinking it is on the Kansas River by now... But, I think it could be more the case of what happened to Toni Anderson's car after she drive into the Missouri River. She was only in there a couple months before she was found and it was said that the car was so covered by debris and silt that they almost couldn't even see it. So, I suppose if Randy's car has been in the Creek or River for 30 years, it could be buried pretty deep.

 

[artsy_ann]

I truly think the guy driving 10mph in a 55 past his parents house knew before he died exactly what happened to Randy.

I wonder if he slipped something into Randy's drink as a prank? Everyone said he hadn't been drinking alcohol and yet he gets so messed up within 30 or so minutes of being at the party that he can't even walk. Maybe that's why he drove past the house so slowly, to see if Randy made it home?

 

[alucardsdream]

Cases where a person and a car go missing at the same time always intrigue me. I do think Randy could have ended up in Stranger Creek and police lost valuable search time because they didn't take the case seriously at first.

One of the men from the Lee's Summit Underwater Rescue and Recovery said "it’s also possible Randy’s car went into a “bowl” on the creek bottom that may have later filled in with sediment, making detection with search equipment nearly impossible."
Beyond ‘Satanic Panic’: Agent has theory on 30-year mystery of missing Kansas teen

As for why Randy seemed so out of it that night, it's possible someone had drugged him, but I have to wonder if he had any kind of medical issue instead. We had an incident here where a doctor in his early 40s was stopped by police one night after he ditched his car and was stumbling around in the road. They assumed he was drunk so they kept him in a holding cell until the next morning. Turns out he wasn't drunk, he had a stroke. I know Randy was much, much younger and not exactly considered "at risk" for something like a stroke, but his behavior at the party made me think of the doctor stumbling all over the place.

I so hope his parents are able to get an answer soon. It's heartbreaking to think that they may not live long enough to see the case solved.

 

[artsy_ann]

Let's not forget that someone admitted to"smoking" Randy up before the party. If Randy wasn't used to marijuana and had to much, he could have had some issues with that too. Maybe that person, I believe it was <modsnip: redacted name of individual>, gave him an edible without letting him know what it really was??

 

[Savemecastiel]

Bumping.

 

[Alleykins]

Let's not forget that someone admitted to"smoking" Randy up before the party. If Randy wasn't used to marijuana and had to much, he could have had some issues with that too. Maybe that person, I believe it was Daughtry, gave him an edible without letting him know what it really was??

Or it could have been laced with something. That happened to my sister.

 

[Savemecastiel]

Bumping.

 

[Jewels53]

A Leavenworth County couple, worried they are running out of time, is urging Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly to help them find their son.

Randy Leach disappeared in April 1988, just weeks before he was set to graduate from high school. His disappearance from a party in rural Leavenworth County has never been solved. His mother’s car he was driving that night, never found.

Parents turn to governor to help find Leavenworth County teen missing for over 30 years

 

[Jayhawk1970]

Growing up we lived off 24/40, it intersects with 32hwy which is the Hwy leading to Linwood and is in Leavenworth County, KS. There were many sightings of Randy and one of those was at the end of our driveway right off 24/40 near a place locals call 4 corners. The Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Department did speak to my parents about it but we never really heard much more about it. I know this case has been filled with so many “what if’s”, talk of satanic rituals, lack of locals wanting to speak
About it and even a few who were there the night of the party that have died under mysterious circumstances. Some have put blame on the local authorities for not investigating the case properly. All of this are issues that have either been published throughout the years in local papers. It’s hard to fathom someone disappearing without a trace, without evidence, without one credible witness coming forth to help this family. Some say that law enforcement haven’t done enough and some say that due to the circumstances of dead leads and so much time passing that they’ve done as much as they could. I can’t even fathom what his family has/is/continue to go through and may never know what really happened to their son. I haven’t looked recently into reports if this case is still being investigated or if it’s closed unless a new lead were to ever come to light. Personally I refuse to believe that someone could disappear without any traces or any witnesses (whether terrified or not) have not come forward yet. While the actual crime scene/scenes are long since tainted, grown over etc.....there’s something that maybe a new set of eyes may see that others missed when looking at the case file itself and the little bit of evidence they may have.......

 

[Jayhawk1970]

Sign the Petition

Petition link to get Kansas Governor Kelly to to look into this case the way it should’ve been from day 1

 

[Jayhawk1970]

Sign the Petition

This has more of the back story and what the Leech family is trying to do with this petition. Please sign it and help them find justice.

 

[Truthsleuth99]

Found this podcast on Randy case
I read they collaborated with the family
It was well researched I think
‎Stolen Lives True Crime: Randy Leach on Apple Podcasts

 

[Bit of hope]

Signed the petition…..I feel so sorry for his dad and mom...they are broken people and they need closure before they close their eyes forever. Justice left their son in oblivion…. I almost never reach out through Facebook. In this case I did a long time ago….just touched my heart seeing his parents.

 

[PommyMommy]

OCT 7, 2019
EPISODE 194: Randy Leach — The Vanished Podcast

 

[PommyMommy]

NOV 14, 2019
Authorities have checked on information in Leach case
The host of a podcast recently speculated about possible locations of a vehicle related to Randy Leach, who disappeared in 1988 in southern Leavenworth County.

But Leavenworth County Undersheriff Jim Sherley said authorities have checked on this information and determined there was not a connection to the case of Leach’s disappearance.

[…]

The podcast, hosted by Jerrie Dean, was posted on YouTube on Nov. 7. The podcast includes images from Google Earth of what the host said could be the vehicle Leach was driving at the time he disappeared.

[…]

Sherley said the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Office continues to receive leads in the Leach case.

“We follow up on each of them,” he said.

 

[Jbetty567]

Anyone else familiar with the Toni Lee Sharpless case? She drove away from a party in PA, under the influence and also possibly in a bad mental state, and has never been seen again. The river right near the party was searched and 11 cars brought up! None was hers. But ... 11 cars. Supposedly that area was a dumping ground for stolen cars, but the fact that in Randy‘s case a couple of other cars were incidentally also found in the river nearby tells me that there are an awful lot of vehicles in bodies of water that can probably explain many, many disappearances. (For those of you interested in Toni’s case, True Crime Garage podcast covered it very well.)