In the late-night hours of April 5, 2014, a 24-year-old man named Randall William Collins was last seen in Richmond, Virginia. He had been at the Canal Club, located in the 1500 block of Cary Street in the Shockoe Bottom area of the city. At the time of his disappearance, Randall was described as a Black male, standing at 5'8' and weighing 150 pounds. He has tattoos on both of his hands, and his first name, 'Randall,' is tattooed on his right arm. On the night he went missing, he was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jean shorts. Randall's family has noted that it is highly uncharacteristic of him to be out of contact with them. His case is especially concerning as he has a medical condition that causes seizures and requires medication.
Accounts of what happened after Randall left the Canal Club vary. Some unconfirmed reports suggest he may have started walking towards the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond, while others indicate he might have gotten into a vehicle with two other Black males. It was also reported that staff at the Canal Club described him as being highly intoxicated and had escorted him out after he passed out. Security guards reportedly saw him walking east, in the direction of his home in Church Hill, following a group of people. The different accounts of his last known movements have made the investigation challenging. There has been no communication from him since that night, and surveillance footage from the club did not provide any clear answers.
In the years following Randall's disappearance, law enforcement and his family have continued to search for answers. Bloodhounds were used in the investigation and reportedly tracked his scent from the club to the edge of the nearby Kanawha Canal. This led to extensive searches of the canal, with authorities using sonar and even draining the waterway, but these efforts did not yield any evidence related to Randall's case. A month after he went missing, a body was found in the canal, but it was determined to be someone else. His family has submitted their DNA to state and national databases in the hope of finding a match. Randall's father has expressed the deep pain and stress of not knowing what happened to his son, a sentiment that highlights the ongoing uncertainty and lack of closure in this case. The investigation into Randall Collins' disappearance remains open, with no evidence of foul play officially confirmed.
Last Seen: Apr 5, 2014
