Photo courtesy of JPD, designed by TTR
The Jackson Police Department is still investigating the homicide of Mary Kelly, a 70-year-old woman, who was killed around 9 p.m. Saturday, September 25 around on Hollywood Drive, according to a news release from the department.
Investigators are searching for Randall Lee Rose, a 58-year-old white male, who is wanted for first-degree murder charges.
Rose, who is 5 feet and 4 inches tall, and weighing approximately 180 pounds, was last seen fleeing the scene in a wooded area between Old Hickory Blvd. and North Parkway.
The Jackson Police Department is offering a reward to anyone with information that leads to the arrest of Rose.
Rose is also registered as a violent sex offender, with convictions in Knoxville, Tenn. and Georgia. According to the Tennessee Sexual Offender Registry, Rose was convicted of rape in 1983 and 2013.
According to a 2013 news release from the City of Knoxville, Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch said that June 27, 2013, Knoxville Police Department Investigator Brian Moran was working in the Violent Crimes Unit when a female came into the lobby of the Safety Building and reported she had been raped. Moran met the victim and immediately began his investigation. The victim was honest about her criminal history that included prior arrests for drugs and prostitution. The victim indicted that a male who had been walking around the area of Broadway and Central Street had raped her.
Rausch said, “The victim indicated that numerous other prostitutes and homeless women had also been raped by this same male, but the victims were all afraid to come forward to the police because of their criminal backgrounds.”
Moran interviewed the victim to gather all the facts that she could provide about the suspect. Moran then spent hours searching through police records, canvassing the area for more witnesses and victims, and speaking to officers that patrol that area.
Through his efforts, Moran was able to identify and locate six more victims. After a few more days of investigation, a possible suspect was identified.
With the possible suspect identified, Moran scoured through downtown neighborhoods to relocate his victims. Once located, they were each shown a photo lineup and each victim was able to identify the suspect. Moran also discovered the suspect was a convicted felon on rape charges in Georgia. Moran began searching the area and located the suspect walking near Broadway and Central Street. The suspect was identified as Rose, who was detained for questioning and was subsequently charged. He was charged with one count of rape and two counts of attempted rape at the time.
Rausch said, “Investigator Moran did an excellent job of investigating this complex case. He had to take many extra steps to bring this case forward due to the difficulty of locating witnesses and victims who frequent drug and prostitution areas. Many of the victims were afraid to come forward due to their lifestyles. Due to Brian’s extra efforts, a violent serial rapist was removed from the streets of Knoxville.”
Anyone with information about Rose whereabouts is urged to call the Jackson Police Department at 911, 731-425-8400, or Crime Stoppers at 731-424-TIPS(8477).
