A 23-year-old Alabama woman went to buy a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and never came home. Nearly two weeks later, her body was found — and a man is now behind bars.
Randall Lendell Dejourney, 44, has been charged with abuse of a corpse in connection with the death of Karen Hollis. Additional charges may follow after an autopsy.
What happened that night
Hollis was reported missing on May 8 in Northport, just outside Tuscaloosa. Her Life360 app showed she left her apartment at 4:25 a.m. The app recorded “hard braking” on Interstate 20 at 4:42 a.m. — and then silence.
Her boyfriend, Zackary Slaughter, said she had texted him that she was heading to the store. “The last thing she texted me was saying she was going to the store to get a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup,” he told local media.
How she was found
Hollis’ family recovered her remains on Saturday after tracking down an area identified through electronic evidence. Investigators had already served multiple search warrants and gathered “extensive physical, witness, and electronic evidence,” according to the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Dejourney had been named a “person of interest” before her body was found. He was taken into custody shortly after her remains were discovered.
What’s next
Dejourney is being held in the Tuscaloosa County Jail on a $15,000 cash bond. An autopsy will determine the cause and manner of Hollis’ death. Authorities say additional charges are possible.
The investigation remains ongoing.
