Key facts
- Name: Randy Wayne Leach
- Born: July 25, 1970
- Age at disappearance: 17
- Last seen: Early morning hours of April 16, 1988
- Location: A pre-graduation party in rural Linwood, Kansas (Leavenworth County)
- Height / build: 6’3″, 220 lbs, brown hair, blue eyes; mole on left ear; last seen in blue pocket t-shirt, blue Levi’s jeans, white low-cut sneakers
- Status: Still missing — declared legally dead in 2001; neither Randy nor his vehicle ever found
- Investigating agency: Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Department; Kansas Bureau of Investigation
The party nobody saw him leave
On April 16, 1988, Harold and Alberta Leach reported their 17-year-old son missing to the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Department.
The night before, Randy had driven to a pre-graduation party at a classmate’s house in rural Leavenworth County — in his mother’s gray 1985 Dodge 600 four-door sedan. About 150 young people were there, according to later reporting; there was alcohol, there were drugs, it was the kind of spring party where a 17-year-old weeks from graduation could feel invincible.
Witnesses said Randy may have left sometime between 1:30 and 2:15 a.m. One friend said he told them he wasn’t feeling normal. But here’s the thing no one has ever explained: no one actually saw Randy leave the party. No one saw the car leave either. And neither Randy nor the gray Dodge has ever been found.
A 6-foot-3, 220-pound teenager and a full-size sedan don’t just evaporate from a farm party. But that’s what happened. Thirty-eight years later, the Leach family is still asking where.
The investigation
The initial investigation frustrated the family from the start — they felt it wasn’t taken seriously early on, losing evidence that might have mattered. The party site was cleaned up. Leads went cold.
Over the decades, the case collected the dark folklore that attaches to unsolved rural disappearances: rumors of satanic cult activity in the area, whispers about caves, stories that grew stranger with each retelling. None of it was ever substantiated. What investigators have said, on the record, is narrower: the circumstances suggest Randy was the victim of foul play, and tips leading to a resolution may be eligible for a governor’s reward of up to $5,000.
The search never really stopped. Volunteer dive teams — Adventures With Purpose, Echo Divers, Muddy Waters Search & Recovery — have spent years running sonar over Leavenworth County waterways, ponds, and creeks, looking for the gray Dodge. Randy’s parents opened a GoFundMe to fund the searches. In January 2025, the Crime Junkie podcast featured the case in an episode titled “MISSING: Randy Leach,” introducing it to millions of new listeners.
Randy was declared legally dead in 2001. His parents, Harold and Alberta, never accepted it.
Theories: what might have happened
Foul play at the party. The theory investigators lean toward: something happened to Randy at or around the party — a fight, an accident covered up, an assault — and his body and car were hidden. Supporting it: nobody saw him or the car leave, which is strange for a crowded party; the family’s belief that evidence was lost early. Undercutting certainty: 38 years of searching, including underwater sonar across the county, has found neither the boy nor the sedan.
He drove off the road. One longstanding theory holds that Randy, possibly impaired or unwell (“not feeling normal”), drove off Golden Road into a creek — and that the car lies in water searchers haven’t checked. Supporting it: it would explain both disappearances at once. Undercutting it: the sheer volume of water searched since, without result.
Satanic cult involvement. Rumor, and it should be labeled as such. In the late 1980s, “satanic panic” rumors attached themselves to dozens of unsolved cases across rural America. No evidence has ever connected any cult to Randy’s disappearance.
Have information?
Tips leading to the resolution of this case may be eligible for a governor’s reward of up to $5,000. Contact the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Department or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-KS-CRIME (1-800-572-7463). In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- July 25, 1970 — Randy Wayne Leach is born.
- April 15–16, 1988 — Attends a pre-graduation party in rural Linwood; last seen in the early morning hours.
- April 16, 1988 — Reported missing to the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Department.
- 1988–present — Searches, sonar operations, and podcast coverage; neither Randy nor the Dodge 600 ever found.
- 2001 — Declared legally dead.
- January 2025 — Crime Junkie features the case (“MISSING: Randy Leach”).
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is Randy Leach still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Randy Leach has been missing for 38 years. Neither he nor the 1985 Dodge 600 he was driving has ever been found.
Was Randy Leach ever found?
No. Despite decades of searches, including underwater sonar operations by volunteer dive teams, no trace of Randy or his car has been located.
How old would Randy Leach be today?
Randy was born July 25, 1970 — he turned 56 in July 2026.
What kind of car was Randy Leach driving?
His mother’s gray 1985 Dodge 600 four-door sedan. The car has never been recovered, which deepens the mystery — a missing person is one thing; a missing full-size sedan is another.
Is there a reward in the Randy Leach case?
Tips leading to the successful resolution of the case may be eligible for a Kansas governor’s reward of up to $5,000.
How can I help?
Share this case file. Contact the Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Department or the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME with any information.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: Leavenworth County Sheriff’s Department; Kansas Bureau of Investigation (Most Wanted — missing persons listing; 1-800-KS-CRIME).
- News: NBC News (May 15, 2020); Sportskeeda, “5 key details about the disappearance of Randy Leach.”
- Reference: Wikipedia, “Disappearance of Randy Leach” (retrieved Oct 2026); Uncovered.com case file.
- Media: Crime Junkie — “MISSING: Randy Leach” (Jan 27, 2025); Cold Case Kansas podcast; Adventures With Purpose / Echo Divers search operations.
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.