This is the last time Harold and Alberta Leach, Randy’s parents, saw their son. Harold Leach gave Randy $20 to buy wax for the mower he was going to pick up at K-Mart. Alberta Leach stated that they did not think “he really planned on going to the party”. 

Randy's Home

Randy makes a stop at his cousin's house, but he was not home. It is believed that he drove around Linwood, which was normal for teens at that time.

Randy picked up an older acquaintance, Steve Daugherty, and drove to a body shop in De Soto. This shop was restoring Randy's graduation gift from his parents: a red 1966 Ford Mustang.

Body Shop in De Soto (Approx. Location)

Randy stops at a convenience store in Linwood to buy 2 candy bars, 2 bottles of pop, and $3 worth of gas.

Randy is seen at a bonfire party in West Bonner Springs. It was estimated that 45 to 150 people were at the party. The mother of the senior who was hosting the party, Annie Erwin, reported that Randy had troubling walking, but did not appear drunk. He did not have a drink in his hand either. Classmates told police later that Randy appeared drunk. They were concerned about his demeanor. It is reported by Alberta Leach that a friend at the party asked Randy, "what is wrong with you?" Randy answered, "Man, I don't know."

Erwin's Farm

Approximately around midnight, witnesses said they saw Randy in the front seat of his car.

John Burns, a high school junior and Randy's friend, starts to take Randy home. While Randy looked for his keys, Burns took the last few people from the party home. Burns told Randy he would take a girl home and would return to give him a ride home.

Mrs. Erwin sees Randy waiting to use the restroom.

Randy's girlfriend said she saw him waiting in line for the restroom around 2:15 am.

At approximately 2:30 am, Burns returns to Erwin's farm to find Randy and his car gone.

Randy has not returned home. Alberta Leach wakes up to find that her son is missing. Alberta and Harold Leach wait in their driveway barefoot. Harold Leach sees an older acquaintance of Randy, Steve Daugherty, drive by their home on Highway 32 and passes behind their house on a country road. Harold Leach reported later the oddity of the occurrence because it was early that morning, the speed limit was 55 mph, but Daughter was only driving "about 10 mph". Harold Leach learns later that Daugherty was one of the last persons to see Randy.

Richard Rose, Alberta Leach's brother and officer at the Lawrence Police Department at the time, arrived at the Erwin farm to find no help provided by the Erwin's; the farm was swept, raked, and everything put away with no cups or cans. Rose said, "you couldn't even have told there was a party there".

Erwin's Farm

Alberta and Harold visit the Erwin farm. Alberta stated, "they had cleaned the whole area up". They were also burning "a bunch of stuff" in the bonfire. Alberta reported that "Harold went out to where the daughter was". Kim Erwin "was pretty upset". Harold Leach asked if she saw Randy. Kim Erwin stated that she did because Randy was at the party. Alberta Leach went to into the Erwin home and spoke with Annie Erwin. Annie Erwin asked, "what can I do for you?" Alberta Leach stated, "I want to know where my son is." Erwin replied, "can I get you a beer?" Alberta Leach turned the offer down and reiterated that she wanted to know where her son is, but Erwin said she did not know. Erwin then expressed that she thought one of the boys from the party took Randy home.

Randy's parents report he is missing immediately after the 24-hour waiting period passed.

The police seek information on Randy who is 6'3 "220Ib 17 year old white male with blue eyes, brown hair, and a mole on left ear lobe." Randy was "last seen wearing [a] blue t-shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes, driving [a] 1985 Doge 600 grey four-door plate #LVJ8721."

Harold Leach spoke with Kenny Huffman on the telephone about Randy's Keys. Huffman told Harold Leach that Kelly Powell was supposed to have Randy's keys. Huffman's cousin Robert provided this information to him. John burns told Robert, Huffman's cousin, that Kelly Powel was supposed to have Randy's keys. Huffman expressed to Harold that he was not sure if Burns and Robert spoke directly, "but it was in a crowd". Harold Leach asked Huffman if this happened when Burns took Randy down to his car. Huffman responded, "I don't know when he got the keys. I just know, that um, Robert said he had the keys and that was all he said. And he said that you were looking for him. That's all I know." Harold Leach stated that "it makes a little bit of sense." Harold Leach tells Huffman what Burns expressed to him, which was Randy did not have his keys when he took Randy down to the car. They looked for the keys, but they could not find them. Randy laid down in the front seat while John Burns and James took a girl home. When Burns returned, Randy was gone. Huffman told Harold Leach that the easiest way to find Kelly is to talk to Robby Marble because "they hanged around a lot." Harold Leach told Huffman that he would give this information to the detectives that are investigating Randy's case.

The home where the bonfire took place burns down.

Alberta and Harold Leach hired two private detectives to help search for Randy. The detectives thought Randy ran away—an conclusion Alberta and Harold disagreed with.

Steve Daugherty showed police a severed foot in a tennis shoe on the banks of the Kansas river. Police searched the area for other remains, but did not find anything. It was concluded that the foot was not Randy's.

Three men were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and murder of Randy, but they were released several days later. The investigators admitted they were mistaken about the men's involvement in Randy's case.

KBI investigators takes a renew effort in investigating Randy's case. They suspected foul play. However, it was not reported publicly. Investigators think that Randy "was slain".

Harold was driven to Topeka by detective Wehmeyer for a polygraph and passes with no probelm.

Alberta and Harold learned law enforcement a suspect in the 1990's, Eric Montgomery. Montgomery testified in a hearing and subsequent trial that The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the FBI considered him as suspect in Randy's disappearance. Montgomery was a suspect in two homicides in 1990 that occurred seven miles from home of Alberta and Harold Leach in Linwood. Montgomery died in 2010 in prision.