The Murder of Randy Tomjack
For this case, I watched an episode of Signs of a Psychopath. It’s season 6 episode 6, titled ‘He Thought We Were Buddies.’
A man calls 911 after being stabbed several times.
Background
Not much is known about Randy Tomjack. He was only 40 years old at the time of his death, lived in a trailer, and worked at a local restaurant in Lewellen, Nebraska.
Randy Tomjack
The 911 Call
On October 7, 2003, Randy called the police around 1:30 a.m. He was able to explain to the dispatcher that he lived in the Albee trailer park and had been stabbed. Randy explained that he hoped his killer wouldn’t come back and that he was the “angel of death.”
Randy wasn’t able to identify himself on the call, but he was identified once the police responded to his trailer. Randy passed away from his injuries. His autopsy would later reveal that he was stabbed 59 times.
The police spotted blood smears in a truck nearby. The owner of the truck was identified as Danny Ball. Danny was brought to the police station and tried to escape from the interview room. The blood found in Danny’s truck was sent in for testing.
The Suspect
Danny did apologize but said he tried to escape because he was told by a deputy that he was being brought in for questioning.
Danny described Randy as his best friend and the person that he was trying to buy a trailer from. He said he couldn’t believe Randy was gone.
Danny was he had been drinking around 10 pm the previous night. Danny was again asked about his friendship with Randy. He said they were friends, but sometimes he would hide in his bedroom and pretend he wasn’t home.
Randy would come over and knock on the door, which is what happened that night. He tried to ignore Randy and hoped he would go away. Danny said Randy liked to make up stories or brag about how well his job was going.
Danny said he ran out of cigarettes and decided to go to Randy’s. He said he would lie and tell Randy he had been out. It was clear that Danny would use Randy for things and didn’t actually consider him as a friend.
Danny’s Stories
He said he walked over to bum some cigarettes and saw the police and ambulance. Danny said he believed that Randy had committed suicide. Danny said he knew that Randy had been gambling with bookies. He first said he thought Randy had killed himself, but then said that maybe a bookie had killed Randy.
The police told Danny that he needed to be honest with them. Danny said he had only gone over there to get cigarettes.
They asked Danny why he had blood in his truck. Instead of answering the question, he told the police that they were making up a story to trap him. The blood in Danny’s truck was found in the ignition and seatbelt.
The police asked Danny about a statement he had made. Earlier that morning, Fanny had told a deputy that he didn’t want Randy to die. Danny said that was bullshit, and that the deputy was a liar or “misphraser.”
The police told Danny that he was being held on suspicion of murder. Less than an hour after being taken to his cell, he wanted to talk again.
The “Confession”
Danny said he knew there was blood on the back door of Randy’s trailer. He said the blood was from his hands.
Danny said he just lost it when he was with Randy the previous night. He said he had been working extra hard all summer to cover Randy’s ass. He went on to call Randy a lazy piece of shit. He said they weren’t buddies, but Randy thought they were.
Danny said he had gotten drunk and went to Randy’s to stab him. Danny and Randy worked together at a local restaurant. Another job came up, but Randy got the job over Danny.
Danny said he slipped in the door of Randy’s trailer and into his bedroom. He said the only light was from the TV. They didn’t have any type of conversation and he just stabbed him.
Danny said he was blacked out when he stabbed Randy. However, Danny said he went home showered, and put his bloody clothes and grim reaper mask in the fireplace. After cleaning himself up, he joined the people gathered outside of Randy’s trailer. He said he wanted to watch the damage he caused.
Danny Ball was found guilty of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Danny Ball
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s pretty clear that Danny had realized that the evidence against him was enough to prove that he had killed Randy. Danny not only murdered Randy but tried to humiliate him. Danny was jealous of Randy. Maybe he was drunk when he killed him but he was not blacked out.
Sources
https://thecinemaholic.com/randy-tomjack-murder-where-is-danny-ball-now/
https://casetext.com/case/ball-v-houston
https://nptelegraph.com/ball-gets-life-in-prison/article_d897dba7-e03d-583d-9b73-8ab518d2d098.html
