Randy Joe Harris, a 55-year-old male, died on October 19, 2023, at his home in Pasco, Washington. His death was investigated as an apparent suicide. A former corrections officer at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell, Harris had lived in the Tri-Cities area since 1996.
On the day of his death, Harris was scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. court hearing for sentencing after pleading guilty in June to possessing child pornography.
The case involved grooming a 15-year-old girl in Illinois and pressuring her to send him explicit photos. According to court documents, he had sent her numerous sexually explicit messages and photos. At the time of these offenses, Harris was a prison guard, a position he had held for 24 years before his arrest in November 2022.
Initially, the court was informed that Harris had a medical emergency, leading to a postponement of the sentencing. However, about an hour later, the U.S. Marshal's Service reported that Harris had died at his residence, where he was under electronic monitoring and house arrest. The Franklin County Coroner's office was called to the scene to investigate the death as a suicide.
Harris had expressed concerns about being targeted in a Washington prison due to his former job and had requested to serve his sentence out-of-state. His attorney was seeking a four-year prison sentence, while the U.S. Attorney's Office planned to ask for a 10-year term. Following the news of his death, the court reconvened, and the victim's father was given the opportunity to address the court.
