The Randall Fox case is a Boone County, Missouri double-homicide prosecution in which Randall Russell Fox faces two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, and one count of tampering with physical evidence in the May 2024 deaths of his ex-wife, Sara Fox, and her mother, Marcia Hess. Fox has pleaded not guilty and has been held without bond in the Boone County Jail since his arrest. His trial is scheduled to begin August 18, 2026, in the 13th Circuit Court, with Judge Joshua Devine presiding.1Columbia Missourian. Trial for Randall Fox Set in Homicides of His Ex-Wife and Her Mother
Who the Victims Were
Sara Elizabeth Fox was 50. She and Randall Fox married in 2002 and later divorced, though they had been separated for about 13 years by May 2024. They shared three sons.2Millard Family Chapels. Sara Elizabeth Fox Obituary Family members told reporters that Sara had allowed Randall to stay rent-free at her mother’s home so he could be near their children, paid for hotel rooms during his weekend visits, and used her food stamps to help feed him.3ABC 17 News. Columbia Police Working to Identify Two Dead Amid Missing Women Investigation
Marcia Denora Hess, Sara’s mother, was 77. A retired educator and ordained interfaith minister, she had moved to Columbia to live with her daughter.4Columbia Tribune. Marcia Denora Hess Obituary
How the Bodies Were Found
Sara Fox and Marcia Hess were last seen on May 8, 2024. Family members reported them missing on May 18 after roughly two weeks of no contact.5KRCG TV. Columbia Murder Suspect Arrested, Details Emerge Over Deaths of Two Missing Women When Columbia police responded to Hess’s home on Ridgemont Drive, an officer noticed a smell coming from the basement and asked Randall Fox to open a closet door. According to the probable cause statement, Fox opened it slightly, then quickly shut it, telling the officer that items would fall out if it were opened further and attributing the smell to sleeping bags.6KOMU. Trial Rescheduled for Columbia Man Charged in a 2024 Double Homicide Case
Investigators returned with a search warrant on May 21, 2024, and found both women inside the basement closet. Autopsies confirmed both had been shot, with one victim sustaining multiple gunshot wounds. Officers recovered 9mm shell casings near a freshly patched wall at the front of the home, and chemical testing revealed blood remnants there, suggesting a struggle had taken place at that location.5KRCG TV. Columbia Murder Suspect Arrested, Details Emerge Over Deaths of Two Missing Women Prosecutors say Fox wrapped the bodies in a tarp before hiding them.793.9 The Eagle. Monday Arraignment Set for Suspect in Columbia Double Homicide
The Arrest
Columbia police brought Fox in for questioning on May 23, 2024. Investigators noted he had shaved his head and beard since their initial contact, which prosecutors later characterized as an attempt to alter his appearance. During the interrogation, Fox made a statement suggesting he knew the victims were “in the basement dead” before police had disclosed where the bodies were found.5KRCG TV. Columbia Murder Suspect Arrested, Details Emerge Over Deaths of Two Missing Women He was booked into the Boone County Jail, and a judge denied bond on May 30, 2024.8ABC 17 News. Grand Jury Indicts Columbia Double Murder Suspect
The Charges
On June 14, 2024, a Boone County grand jury indicted Fox on two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, and one count of tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution. The indictment moved the case from associate circuit court up to the circuit court level. Fox was arraigned on July 1, 2024, and entered a not guilty plea.8ABC 17 News. Grand Jury Indicts Columbia Double Murder Suspect
The tampering count relates to Fox’s alleged concealment of the bodies and his efforts to keep officers from opening the closet where they were hidden.6KOMU. Trial Rescheduled for Columbia Man Charged in a 2024 Double Homicide Case
Trial Date and Current Status
The trial was originally set for April 14, 2026, but the defense requested a continuance, citing difficulties scheduling depositions. It was rescheduled as a four-day proceeding beginning August 18, 2026, before Judge Joshua Devine in the 13th Circuit Court.9KRCG TV. Trial for Columbia Man Accused of Killing Ex-Wife, Her Mother Moved to August 2026 Fox has remained in the Boone County Jail since his May 2024 arrest.1Columbia Missourian. Trial for Randall Fox Set in Homicides of His Ex-Wife and Her Mother