20/11/2025
Raiford, Fl-Richard Barry Randolph is scheduled to be executed at the Florida State Prison, on November 20, 2025 at 6pm eastern time.
According to court records, on the early morning of August 15, 1988 Randolph set out to steal the cash from a safe at the Handy Way Convenience Store, where Randolph had previously been an employee. Using his knowledge of the normal routine, Randolph broke into the store during the time the store clerk/manager Minnie Ruth McCollum was out checking the gas pumps and outside garbage bins. Unfortunately McCollum returned and confronted Randolph for being inside the store. That’s where the robbery took a horrible turn, Randolph forced McCollum to a back area of the store and began a brutal assault. In attempts to silence the screams of McCollum he beat her in the head with his bare hands until she was unconscious.
Randolph began his attempt at cracking the safe. McCollum regained consciousness and began moving around, so Randolph returned to her, took the drawstring from his hooded sweatshirt and strangled her until she lay limp. Randolph returned to the safe, this process continued until the last attack where Randolph used a small knife and stabbed McCollum several times in the neck and once in the face. Randolph then removed McCollum’s clothing from the waist down and r***d her. Randolph was never able to gain entry into the safe, so he left grabbing rolls of lottery tickets.
While attempting to flee the store 3 witnesses had a short interaction with Randolph, yet he was still able to flee from the store using McCollum’s vehicle. The witness’ knew something was wrong after the interaction as well as the abnormal appearance inside the store, so they alerted the police by phone. When law enforcement arrived the store was locked so they had to break glass to gain entry, while searching the store they located McCollum on the floor-partially unclothed, bleeding from her head and neck, moaning in pain, and hanging onto life. They also found the small knife used in the attack laying next to McCollum’s head. (Unfortunately, initially surviving the horrendous attack Minnie Ruth McCollum passed away six days later from her injuries.)
Later that day Randolph was arrested in Jacksonville, Florida while waiting for a cash advance from the manager of a Sav-A-Lot store. After his arrest and waiving his Miranda Rights Randolph confessed to cashing several of the winning lottery tickets and discarding the losers at several stores along his route to Jacksonville, he even led police to the McDonald’s trash can he ditched his bloody clothes and shoes in.
Richard Barry Randolph was found guilty of 1st degree murder, as well as three other charges related to this case and sentenced to death by The Honorable Robert Perry.
What do you think about this ex*****on? In favor or against?
