The Murder of Rayna Rison
For this case, I watched an episode of Unusual Suspects Deadly Intent. It’s season 1 episode 13, titled ‘Forget Me Not.’
A young high school student disappears after leaving work.
Background
Rayna Rison was a sophomore in high school, and was just 16-years-old at the time of her death. She and her family lived in Laporte, Indiana.
Rayna wanted to be a veterinarian, and worked at the local animal hospital. Her job was to feed the animals and clean the kennels. Rayna usually left work around 6pm.
Rayna was also well liked and made friends easily. According to her sister, Wendy, Rayna was funny, liked to crack jokes, and was a very good student.
Rayna Rison
The Disappearance
On March 26, 1993, a Friday, Rayna left work at the animal hospital. Rayna and her boyfriend, Matt Elser had just gotten back together, and had a date planned for that night.
Matt had stopped by the animal hospital to pick Rayna up, but she wasn’t there. He then drove to the Rison home, but she wasn’t there either. Rayna’s family invited Matt to come inside to wait for her there. Sadly, Rayna never showed up.
By 10:30pm, Rayna’s dad drove down to the police station. They said that Rayna had to be missing for at least 24 hours before they could open a missing persons case.
Rayna’s family didn’t sit still and began their own search for Rayna. Flyers were being passed out, and several of Rayna’s friends drove around looking for her.
The Search for Rayna
The police made an appeal to the media after they heard about the search for Rayna. After the appeal, a witness came forward and said they had seen a few people talking outside the animal hospital. The witness described a sedan being outside the hospital with 2 men inside. They said the men spoke to a young girl, and it sounded like a lover’s spat.
The day after she disappeared, Rayna’s car was found 9 miles from the animal hospital. It was on the side of a county road. The hood was popped open, so the police believed that maybe someone had stopped to help Rayna with her car trouble. But, the car didn’t seem to have any issues.
Rayna’s purse was found in the car. In the glovebox, the police found a ring. They went to Rayna’s school to see if anyone knew who the ring belonged to. Matt said the ring belonged to Jason Tibbs, Rayna’s ex-boyfriend. Matt said he knew that Jason wanted Rayna back.
The Ex-Boyfriend
Jason had a criminal history, and had dropped out of school. Jason was interviewed about a week after Rayna went missing. He seemed like he cared about Rayna, and was concerned for her. Jason admitted that the ring was his. He said the ring was in the car because he and Rayna had remained friends, and had been working on the stereo.
Jason was asked where he had been on the night that Rayna disappeared. Jason said he and several friends had gone fox hunting. Fox hunting is where several people drive around and park in random locations, and use CB radios to locate each other.
Jason’s friends were interviewed, and they confirmed that Jason had been fox hunting with them. However, Jason was only heard through the radio and hadn’t actually been seen.
Rayna’s dad confirmed that Rayna and Jason were friends, so the ring seemed to be a dead end.
The Discovery
Rayna’s case started to go cold until the police made a discovery. Matt’s letterman jacket was found by a Laporte Sheriff’s Deputy. Rayna had last been seen with the jacket. It was found about 6-7 miles away from where her car was found. The jacket had been placed there after the police’s initial search.
The police learned that Matt had wanted to take a break from the relationship. They had taken a break, but recently gotten back together. Their date that night was supposed to be really special, and were both looking forward to it. Matt knew there was no way that Rayna wouldn’t have shown up.
In April, a month after Rayna disappeared, a family out fishing made a horrible discovery. They smelled something that was thought to be a dead animal. It turned out to be a body. The body was facedown, and had two logs across the back. Due to the decomposition, it looked like the body had been there for a month.
Rayna was wearing a ring with her name on it when she was found. There didn’t appear to have been a sign of a struggle. The autopsy revealed that her cause of death was asphyxiation.
The Serial Killer
After Rayna was found, the police went back to speak to Jason. Jason revealed that Rayna had been sexually molested by her brother-in-law, Ray.
The police report revealed that Rayna had told her parents about it. Rayna was 13 at the time. Ray admitted to it, and he was charged with a class D felony, and was placed on probation. His probation ended not too long before Rayna went missing.
The police went to speak to Ray. He told them that Rayna had been curious about sex, which is disgusting to say as he clearly took advantage of a 13-year-old girl. Ray told the police that he had been at his friend’s farm on the night that Rayna disappeared. His friend confirmed to seeing Ray that night.
The case was cold. But, more than a year 1/2 after Rayna was killed, the police pulled over a suspect. The man’s name was Larry Hall, and he had been pulled over for attempting to kidnap a woman in another state. Hall would travel across the Midwest for civil war reenactments. In his van, Hall had newspaper clippings about Rayna’s case. He also had a prescription bottle with R. Rison on it. He claimed he had abducted and killed Rayna.
The pill bottle seemed to be a fake. The police had contacted every local pharmacy about the prescription. Hall had been in Kentucky when Rayna went missing. Hall had confessed to abducting and murdering other women. Hall seemed like the type of person who would insert himself into any investigation and confess.
The Wrong Suspect
Matt’s story never changed, and he had been with Rayna’s parents waiting for her when she was believed to have been kidnapped. Jason’s alibi was only confirmed through the radio. His friends had never actually seen him that night.
Ray’s alibi was also shaky. Ray was now claiming that he had picked up a hitchhiker on the night of Rayna’s murder. He also admitted that he had driven by the animal hospital too, and had stopped by to see Rayna.
A search warrant was obtained for Ray’s house. They found blood in his car, a stun gun, and two handguns. He was arrested 5 years after Rayna’s murder, and charged with murdering her. He waited in jail for 15 months while the police continued to build their case.
While Ray was in jail, a new prosecutor had been assigned. The blood in Ray’s car turned out to be deer blood as he was an avid hunter. The prosecutor decided that there wasn’t enough evidence to convict Ray or to proceed with the trial. He was released after a year in jail.
The Eyewitness
In 2008, 15 years after Rayna was killed, the police had received a letter from an inmate serving a 44-year sentence. His name was Ricky Hammons, and the police went to speak with him. He was in prison for murdering his roommate. Ricky said he decided to come forward after thinking about his niece. He said he would want someone to come forward if anything had happened to her.
In 1993, Ricky was 14, and was living with his family. Ricky had gone out to the barn to smoke weed on the night of March 26. While he was in the barn, his sister’s boyfriend, Eric Freeman, and his friend, Jason Tibbs had arrived.
Ricky had observed Rayna’s body in the back of the car. He also described seeing the black jacket she was wearing.
The police found Eric in South Carolina. The police asked him about Rayna, but Eric became nervous and refused to speak anymore.
The Arrest and Conviction
The prosecutor still didn’t believe the police had enough evidence to now convict Jason. The police asked for immunity for Eric if he told them what he knew.
Eric accepted the immunity offer. He said Jason had asked him for a ride in 1993. He said Jason had wanted to visit see Rayna at the animal hospital. Rayna had approached the car when she left work. Jason had professed his love for her. When Rayna rejected him, he forced her into the car. Jason then strangled Rayna. They put Rayna’s body in the trunk, and they drove to the Hammon’s barn.
Eric drove Jason back to the clinic to pick up Rayna’s car. Jason abandoned the car, and they drove to the pond to leave Rayna’s body there. Jason put 2 logs across her bank to sink her. He also discarded Matt’s jacket.
In 2013, Jason was arrested. At his trial, Jason was found guilty, and sentenced to 40 years. His latest appeal was denied.
Jason Tibbs
FINAL THOUGHTS
Rayna was 16-years-old and had her whole life ahead of her. She was finally happy again when she and Matt got back together. Jason didn’t get the hint that Rayna wasn’t interested in him anymore. Instead of just letting her be, he killed her and hoped no one would find her. Rayna was so loved, and her family and friends didn’t give up on her until the truth was revealed.
Sources
https://thecinemaholic.com/how-did-rayna-rison-die-did-larry-hall-kill-her/
https://www.grunge.com/771468/the-cold-case-of-rayna-risons-murder-explained/
https://www.abc57.com/news/jason-tibbs-found-guilty-of-murdering-rayna-rison
