Shraman Mitra
When convicted murderer Randolph Dial got a chance to work on a prison art program outside the penitentiary walls, he immediately began planning an escape. Moreover, his proximity to Bobbi Parker, the deputy warden’s wife, made it easy to take her as a hostage during his getaway. ‘Dateline: The Devil and Bobbi Parker’ chronicles the horrific incident and even takes the viewer through the investigation that caught up with Randolph more than ten years later.
Who Was Randolph Dial?
Randolph Dial was a convicted murderer who confessed to killing karate instructor Kelly Dean Hogan on September 16, 1981. As a result, he was handed a life sentence and spent several years behind bars at a high-security prison before being shifted to the Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite, Oklahoma. At the Granite prison, Randolph enjoyed a minimum security lifestyle and even got himself on the warden’s good books. Besides, he was known to be a pretty proficient artist, which led to him being elected the leader of an art program in the prison.
Incidentally, Bobbi Parker, the wife of deputy warden Randy Parker, was in charge of conducting the art program, bringing her close to Randolph. Initially, she was scared of working alongside him since she knew about his murderous past. However, the convicted murderer soon became a regular sight in the Parker household since he became their chief caretaker. Meanwhile, Randy did not think much about it, as he always favored rehabilitating the prisoners in his charge. On August 30, 1994, Randolph was working at the Parker house as usual when Randy left for work.
However, upon the latter’s return, Bobbi was nowhere to be found, and the deputy warden soon raised an alarm. Furthermore, a few minutes later, the correctional officers announced that Randolph Dial had broken out of his cell, and a prisoner claimed he saw the convicted murderer escape in a car, which Bobbi was driving. In the following days, she placed four phone calls, three to people she knew, including her mother, best friend, and sister-in-law. The fourth one was to Charles Sasser, a former detective who had written a book on Randolph.
Yet, after the four phone calls, Randolph and Bobbi completely dropped off the grid, although there were a few sightings, including one at an art sale in Galveston, Texas. It is said that after he kidnapped her during his escape, she stayed with him for more than ten years and even accompanied the convicted murderer when he had to visit the hospital because of a heart attack. On top of it, Bobbi claimed she never tried to escape as Randolph threatened to harm her and her family if she went against his wishes. Thus, even when law enforcement officers traced the pair to a Texas chicken farm in April 2005, she tried her best not to cooperate.
Randolph Dial: Passed Away in Oklahoma Jail
Once Bobbi was rescued, she detailed her ordeal in a Dateline interview and claimed she was drugged and kidnapped by Randolph Dial. She also insisted that the convicted murderer held her against her will and stated that she was subjected to regular beatings, torture, and even merciless rape. Nonetheless, police officers who searched the Texas chicken farm mentioned that they came across several sex toys, Valentine’s Day cards, and packets of condoms inside the house the two shared. On top of it, authorities found a love letter that Bobbi had addressed to Randolph Dial.
Hence, even though the mother of two insisted on her innocence, she was found guilty of aiding Randolph’s escape and sentenced to a year in prison in 2011. On the other hand, the police brought the convicted murderer back to Oklahoma, where he stood trial for the prison break. Eventually, a judge sent him back to life in prison, with an added sentence of seven years for the escape. Randolph spent his days behind bars in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester when he took ill and breathed his last on June 13, 2007, at 62.
Read More: Where is Bobbi Parker Now?
