SIDNEY NICOLE RANDALL - 14 yo - Walnut Ridge, AR

ASP issues AMBER Alert for Walnut Ridge teen

This article was originally published March 11, 2013 at 5:31 p.m.



Updated March 11, 2013 at 6:53 p.m.

Sidney Nicole Randell.

Arkansas State Police are searching for a teenage girl who was last seen two days ago and whose stepfather has been found dead.


According to a release from the department, authorities have issued a
Level 2 Morgan Nick AMBER Alert for 14-year-old Sidney Nicole Randell,
of Walnut Ridge. The alert went out Monday after authorities said the
girl's stepfather was found dead. It's not clear how he died.


Randell is described as a 5-foot-4, 85-pound white female with
shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes. She was last seen about 10
p.m. Saturday in Walnut Ridge wearing a brown Aeropostale jacket.


The release also states that she may be in danger.


Anyone with information on Randell is asked to contact Walnut Ridge Police Department Chief Richy Thatcher at (870) 886-2525.


http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2013/mar/11/asp-searching-missing-walnut-ridge-girl/

Search for missing Arkansas teen continues


Sidney Nicole Randell, 14, was last seen Saturday night.

John Cornell was found dead Saturday afternoon

WALNUT RIDGE, AR -
(KAIT) - The search for a missing Arkansas teen continues
Tuesday with air, water, and ground crews. Arkansas State Police issued
a level two Morgan Nick Amber Alert for 14-year-old Sidney Nicole
Randell after the main suspect in her disappearance was found dead
Monday afternoon.

According to the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department, the girl's
stepdad, John Cornell, was found dead on a farm road just outside of
Walnut Ridge.

"We got a phone call into our 911 Dispatch Center, a subject was out
running a track hoe on one of the county roads cleaning a ditch, had
located a truck fitting the description of Mr. Cornell's," Walnut Ridge
Police Chief Richy Thatcher said. "Approximately 200 yards past the
truck, we found the body of Mr. Cornell.

The sheriff's department said Cornell was in the red Ford Ranger they
had been searching for since Randell disappeared around 10 p.m.
Saturday. He died as a result of a gunshot wound. Police do believe he
died as a result of suicide.

Detectives say they were searching for Cornell so that they could
question him in connection with his stepdaughter's disappearance.

Prior to John Cornell's body being discovered, Randell's mother expressed concern for her daughter.

"She has an upcoming pageant in April, and that's how I know she
wouldn't have left willingly," said Sidney's mother, Denise Cornell.

Cornell said all signs point to Randell having been forced from the house sometime Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

"She would not have just got up in the middle of the night and take off without her makeup," said Denise.

Cornell's friends and family are working to spread the word about her
disappearance, posting fliers and information to Facebook. They are
also wearing one of the teen's favorite colors.

"We're wearing yellow in support of her," Denise said.

Denise said she will not stop until she finds her daughter.

"Sidney, I love you, we miss you. I want you to come home," she said.
"We are not going to give up. I'm gonna fight. And I'm gonna search as
long as I breathe."

The 14-year-old was last seen wearing a brown Aeropostle jacket. She
is about 5'4'' and weighs about 85 pounds. Randell has brown hair,
that goes just past her shoulders, and green eyes.

If you have seen or know anything about her whereabouts contact the Walnut Ridge Police Department at (870) 886-3568.
http://www.wmctv.com/story/21577808/morgan-nick-amber-alert-issued-for-missing-wr-teen-after-suspect-found-dead

Missing teen's family reveals shocking allegations

Updated: Mar 14, 2013 6:25 AM EDT
Investigators in Lawrence County, Arkansas have searched with dogs all over the area where Sidney Randall disappeared.
They have been looking in the area where her stepfather was discovered dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. And also searching in abandoned houses. The 14-year-old seems to have literally vanished without a trace in a case that becomes more bizarre by the hour.

More than 100 friends, family, and concerned residents gathered at Walnut Ridge High for a balloon launch in the fifth day of searching for Randall. The teen is described as bubbly, and she has been in beauty pageants since the age of two.

"She was a sweet caring person, but she was keeping something," her brother Ben Randall said. "She never did tell anybody but she was keeping something from everybody."

Sidney Randall's father and his live-in partner said they suspected the teenager's stepfather John Cornell had been molesting her.

"She told one of her friends John slugged her in the mouth," Sidney's father Victor Randall said. "She was scared of him."

Randall says Cornell seemed to make sure Sidney was with him when he left the home.

"She said she was going to tell," he said.

Lawrence County Sheriff Jody Dotson said that allegations have been made the Cornell might have been abusing Sidney, but that they can't prove it.

Investigators say Sidney Randall was last seen in her room Saturday night, a room filled with photos of her and awards she has won in beauty contests.

Her mother woke up around 3:30 a.m. and couldn't find Sidney or her husband. John Cornell returned home around 5:30 in the morning and his wife called 911 when she did not see Sidney.

Cornell left and was discovered Monday with what investigators say was a self-inflicted gunshot. He was about 200 yards from his truck, but the sheriff says there is no evidence Sidney was in that area.

The sheriff said Cornell went on a spending spree after getting his tax return buying things like computers, the gun he used to kill himself and smaller items. The sheriff says Cornell did have a lot of cash on him.

The Arkansas State Police have the computers John Cornell recently purchased looking for any evidence there. The Lawrence County sheriff said he and the many agencies from around the area will search for Sidney Randall until they find her, but right now they really have nothing that indicates what happened to her.

http://www.wbtv.com/story/21636348/missing-teens-family-reveals-shocking-allegations

Sadly, this is no surprise, it just took awhile to find it.

Once again we have a name discrepancy. Randell or Randall. I won't change it until we know for sure which is correct.

I have a bad feeling that he murdered her.

Shew, my heart sank when I saw you'd posted Twinkletoes. I don't think they will find Sidney alive either, but it's like with Dylan - kind of 'know' what probably happened but.....

If her step-father was molesting her and he didn't want jail time, why did he have to take her with him? The extreme depth of hatred some of these people have is frightening.

BTW - I've seen the Randell spelling more often in the news stories then I've seen Randall, although Mr. Google always asks if I wouldn't rather search for Randall

Hey Ladibug. I know what you mean about the heart sinking.

I don't understand why if he were going to kill himself that he took her. Maybe he thought he could run away with her and she tried to escape? This is just too weird.

I'm so sick of these perverts murdering children. Sick of it.

Body of 14-year-old Sidney Randall found; cause of death still under investigation
Posted: May 18, 2013 8:32 PM EDT Updated: May 20, 2013 5:07 PM EDT

LAWRENCE COUNTY, AR (KAIT) – The body of missing 14-year-old Sidney Randall has been found and identified by the Arkansas State Crime Lab.

The Walnut Ridge Police Department held a press conference Monday afternoon confirming that it was Randall's body that was found Saturday.

The cause of death is still being investigated.

Lawrence County Sheriff Jody Dotson tells Region 8 News the body was found near Old Davidsonville State Park by a fisherman around 5:40 p.m. "We want to thank that fisherman for calling in. People were still out looking," Sheriff Dotson said. "Everybody that called in tips and everything during this entire search, we really appreciate it," Dotson said.

The body had been caught in a tree in the water about 1.5 miles south of a boat ramp.

Dotson says it appeared to have been underwater for some time.

The family of 14-year-old Sidney Randall was notified soon after the body was found, according to police .

Randall was reported missing over 10 weeks ago.

John Cornell, the primary suspect in Randall's disappearance was found dead near his truck Monday, March 11 from what appeared to be a self inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department.

After Cornell's death, Arkansas State Police issued a level 2 Morgan Nick Amber Alert for the 14-year-old. ASP cancelled the alert Monday afternoon.

Region 8 News will continue to track the details of this developing story.

http://www.kait8.com/story/22290272/lawrence-co-sheriff-the-body-of-young-female-found-in-river

If Cornell had to murder her, and he was going to kill himself anyway, why couldn't he have just left her laying on the sofa or something so that she would have been found quickly? Better yet, why not just kill himself? Not that I'm for suicide, but it is just so sad for her loved ones to not be able to hold her and look at her one more time.

I knew the perverted pedophile had murdered her. Just wait, they will announce it soon.

Why oh why didn't he just kill himself and let her live her life. Sick SOB, thank God he's dead.