Key facts
- Randy McAllister, 62, has been charged with murder and aggravated murder in the 1985 death of John Warren.
- Evidence discarded behind a Cracker Barrel in Georgia in 1985 was re-examined using modern forensic techniques.
- Warren was found dead in a hotel room in Middletown, Ohio, on October 17, 1985.
- McAllister was arrested on July 1, pleaded not guilty, and was assigned a $500,000 bail.
- Prior convictions for aggravated robbery and felonious assault were noted during the arraignment.
Modern forensic analysis of evidence collected decades ago has led to charges in a 1985 murder cold case. John Warren, a traveling salesman, was found dead in a hotel room in Middletown, Ohio, on October 17, 1985. His car and belongings were stolen, and some of his property was later found discarded behind a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Dalton, Georgia.
Investigators reopened the case in 2019, submitting items from the hotel room, Warren's car, and the Cracker Barrel to a crime lab. The results of this analysis identified Randy McAllister, 62, of Columbus, Ohio, as a suspect. An alleged accomplice is now deceased.
McAllister was indicted by a grand jury in late June on charges of murder and aggravated murder. He was jailed on July 1 and pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Tuesday, where his bail was set at $500,000. An assistant county prosecutor stated that Warren had been fatally strangled and beaten. McAllister's defense requested a $50,000 bond, but Judge Robert Peeler set it higher due to McAllister's prior convictions for aggravated robbery and felonious assault in 1985 and 1992.