×
You have 2 more free articles available this month. Subscribe today.
Oklahoma Escapee Who Fled With Warden’s Wife Sentenced to Maximum, Then Dies
Oklahoma Escapee Who Fled With Warden's Wife Sentenced to Maximum, Then Dies
When Randolph F. Dial escaped from the Oklahoma State Reformatory in August 1994, he set off a search not only for himself, but also for the deputy warden's wife, Bobbi Parker. In April 2005, they were discovered living together in a trailer on a chicken farm in East Texas.
Ever since that discovery, officials have been trying to piece together the details of their relationship. At his February 28, 2007, sentencing for escape, Dial said, "I took her with me."
"Did she help you or assist you?" asked assistant district attorney, Eric Yarbough. "I don't know," Dial responded. He then acknowledged the couple drove off in Parker's van. To follow-up questions, Dial responded, "I don't remember."
For the 1994 escape, Dial, 62, was sentenced to the maximum of seven years. When he escaped, he was serving a life sentence for murder. "He'll never live to see daylight out in the world again," said Dial's lawyer, Jim Hines.
Ms. Parker, 44, returned to her husband, Randy Parker, after she and Dial were found. Randy, who now serves as facility security operations director for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, says he believes his wife's story that Dial abducted her and held her against her will for fear of his underworld connections.
When found, it was evident to investigators that Dial and Ms. Parker were sharing a bedroom and they found letters the two had exchanged. They also learned that Ms. Parker called 911 and rode in an ambulance with Dial after he had a heart attack.
Dial contends he escaped because he feared for his life. The prosecutor believes none of it. "The defendant definitely spins a good yarn," says a presentence report. "It's difficult to tell where reality ends and fantasy begins." Parker has not been prosecuted.
On June 14, 2007, Dial died in prison, following an undisclosed "long illness."
Source: New York Times
When Randolph F. Dial escaped from the Oklahoma State Reformatory in August 1994, he set off a search not only for himself, but also for the deputy warden's wife, Bobbi Parker. In April 2005, they were discovered living together in a trailer on a chicken farm in East Texas.
Ever since that discovery, officials have been trying to piece together the details of their relationship. At his February 28, 2007, sentencing for escape, Dial said, "I took her with me."
"Did she help you or assist you?" asked assistant district attorney, Eric Yarbough. "I don't know," Dial responded. He then acknowledged the couple drove off in Parker's van. To follow-up questions, Dial responded, "I don't remember."
For the 1994 escape, Dial, 62, was sentenced to the maximum of seven years. When he escaped, he was serving a life sentence for murder. "He'll never live to see daylight out in the world again," said Dial's lawyer, Jim Hines.
Ms. Parker, 44, returned to her husband, Randy Parker, after she and Dial were found. Randy, who now serves as facility security operations director for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, says he believes his wife's story that Dial abducted her and held her against her will for fear of his underworld connections.
When found, it was evident to investigators that Dial and Ms. Parker were sharing a bedroom and they found letters the two had exchanged. They also learned that Ms. Parker called 911 and rode in an ambulance with Dial after he had a heart attack.
Dial contends he escaped because he feared for his life. The prosecutor believes none of it. "The defendant definitely spins a good yarn," says a presentence report. "It's difficult to tell where reality ends and fantasy begins." Parker has not been prosecuted.
On June 14, 2007, Dial died in prison, following an undisclosed "long illness."
Source: New York Times
As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.
Already a subscriber? Login