January 26, 1975: A tragic day in Wisconsin Law Enforcement History

[MichaelJCheaney]

This is a case that has ALWAYS fascinated me. And quite honestly I am not sure why.

Perhaps its because I wanted to become a Sheriffs Deputy when I was in High School, perhaps its because a great amount of my time as a youth was spent around Law Enforcement. (In the good way, my Parents were friends with many many officers in what was my LARGELY rural county, in the 70s, 80's and 90's)

Summit Wisconsin was a largely rural area in the 1970's it was home to many many small farms as well as the World Famous Pabst Farms, which was founded by COL Fredrick Pabst of Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewing fame, nearly 100 years prior.

The Interstate system had also been completed 10 years prior, which made travel from Milwaukee to Madison much easier.

On January 11th, 1975 a local farmer named Ronald Hoeft was brutally gunned down in his own driveway, chasing down a car that had stolen from his farm.

Over the course of the next 2 weeks The Summit town hall and countless other farms would be burglarized.

During this two week stretch The Summit Police Chief doubled up on the manpower on 3rd shift, fearing that the killer of Hoeft would strike again, while also hoping to quell the spate of burglaries that had plagued this sleepy little town of 600 people.

On the very cold Wisconsin winter night of January 25-January 26th 1975 officers, Robert Atkins and Wayne Olsen were scheduled to work the 3rd shift, replacing 2nd shift officer Thomas Wagner.

After completing shift change and attending roll call Deputy Wagner left for home, the time was Approximately 12:05AM.

At 12:10AM A resident reported what sounded to be a car backfiring in the cold Wisconsin air. But at the time didn't give it a second thought, because backfiring cars were common place around Summit.

At 4AM that Sunday morning, the Waukesha County Dispatch center in Waukesha attempted to call squad 645 (The Squad Atkins and Olsen were assigned to) but received no response. It was at this point that an APB was broadcast for the missing Summit Squad which was responded to by area Law Enforcement including Oconomowoc, Delafield, and Pewaukee.

At about 4:15AM an Oconomowoc officer pulled up behind the Summit Town hall and made a chilling discovery. The marked Black and white Summit police car, was pumped full of bullet holes and blood. A full scale search of the premises was then launched around the town hall area.

Officer Olsens bullet riddled body was found just outside of the town hall doors, where he had attempted to retreat to after being shot to place a call for help. (At that time Law Enforcement did not have the shoulder mounted radios they do today) Meanwhile Officer Atkins body was found in an area just south of the squad, in a wooded area. He too had been fatally wounded.

An extensive day long search by area law enforcement officers led to a house on Dousman Rd. just a mile from the town hall, and the arrest of a 16 year old town resident. Evidence gathered in a search of the boy's bedroom and the yard of the house linked him to the murders of the two officers, Mr. Hoeft, and at least 12 burglaries, including the three at the police department.
After two years of court proceedings, the 16-year-old, Alan A Randall was found to be insane and was sentenced to life in a state mental institution.

[Unamused Cat]

State of Wisconsin vs. Alan Adin Randall

http://www.wicourts.gov/html/ca/97/97-0519.htm

[MichaelJCheaney]

State of Wisconsin vs. Alan Adin Randall

http://www.wicourts.gov/html/ca/97/97-0519.htm

And that is EXACTLY why I posted about this.

Because as we speak (Or type) there is a hearing regarding his competency to be released from custody.

He can petition once every 2 years under the Wisconsin guidelines and he has done so for the last 14.

The Waukesha Courthouse is 3 miles from my house and just for grins I think I may attend the hearings tomorrow.

I have just always been fascinated with this even though I was only 14 months old when this crime was committed

[ohmarvellousme!]

A 16yr old? Jeez. It just goes to show that you should never underestimate what some deranged 'kids' are capable of. :dong:

[MichaelJCheaney]

A 16yr old? Jeez. It just goes to show that you should never underestimate what some deranged 'kids' are capable of. :dong:
And this was back in the 1970's in Small town Wisconsin no less......

[jojobeans]

What a great write up... I can understand why this story got to you. In a small town like that everyone knows everyone and it must be hard to know that one of your own (townie) could do this and the fact he was so young. It doesn't make any sense that these people loss their lifes for nothing.

I hope they don't let him out

[whisperswing]

I agree as I have said before my towns under 3000(where I was raised) and we had same 3 cops all my life growing up so you know everyone.Thats a great write up MJC

[hunnie]

Ok he's a certified nut....lol....suffering from paranoid schizophrenia
although they let him out to sign up for college and also let him out to work 40 hours a week....WTF?

This is a case that slipped through the cracks, being he was only 16 at the time....they didn't try him as an adult it seems.. ( too early in time)

he will kill again, if they let him out....I doubt he'll ever get out seeing as he killed two cops.....nope....never....

[hunnie]

when is he up for review?
do keep us posted....

[MichaelJCheaney]

He is up for review right now.

He has a 4 day trial that started this morning and continues thru Friday.

I am planning on possibly trying to attend tomorrow even though I do know it will just be a bunch of lawyereze that I will not understand!

But it should be interesting none the less!

[MichaelJCheaney]

The really odd thing though is that he was convicted by a jury, but found INCOMPETENT by a judge, which is apparently how it was done in 1976.

But instead of being committed for LIFE the prosecutor messed up and didn't file the correct paperwork which is what allows him to petition for release every 2 years.

And the other twist is that he was acquited of the first murder.

[hunnie]

yeah i thought i read he got by with one murder.....


notice the title tag your it.....i feel like i am playing a game of tag here....lol...

[MichaelJCheaney]

It almost seem the more I look around at just how screwed up Wisconsin law is screwed up at that time and how screwy it still is today I get more amazed.

I mean a paranoid schizophrenic who murders 3 people and is sentenced to Winnebago Mental health, SHOULD NEVER be able to walk the streets, EVER.

And yet that is EXACTLY what he has been able to do for 15 years now. He has held a steady job, is unsupervised for 60hrs a week and owns his own home.

So really this "treatment" that he has been getting on the Wisconsin taxpayer dime for the last 30 plus years is just a sham.

He has his freedom. The only difference is he has to sleep at the mental hospital each night.

It really is a slap in the face to the Adkins, Hoefler, and Olson families even after all these years.......

[hunnie]

It almost seem the more I look around at just how screwed up Wisconsin law is screwed up at that time and how screwy it still is today I get more amazed.

I mean a paranoid schizophrenic who murders 3 people and is sentenced to Winnebago Mental health, SHOULD NEVER be able to walk the streets, EVER.

And yet that is EXACTLY what he has been able to do for 15 years now. He has held a steady job, is unsupervised for 60hrs a week and owns his own home.

So really this "treatment" that he has been getting on the Wisconsin taxpayer dime for the last 30 plus years is just a sham.

He has his freedom. The only difference is he has to sleep at the mental hospital each night.

It really is a slap in the face to the Adkins, Hoefler, and Olson families even after all these years.......



He owns his own home?....I missed that part....fuck me running....yeah he is pretty much free...I would be scared to death to be his neighbor...

[MichaelJCheaney]

He owns his own home?....I missed that part....fuck me running....yeah he is pretty much free...I would be scared to death to be his neighbor...

Yea figure that one out. He has been committed for 30plus years.

But is allowed to be unescorted off the grounds to work. He has had solid employment in Neenah WI.....(which is an hour north of where I live) in a vacuum repair shop.

Back in 2002 the Neenah police Department did a search on his residence where they uncovered 450 BOXES of items. He passed them off by saying they were items that we given to him by his deceased parents, and the Police tried doing a cross check of the items thinking that he may have stolen them by doing robberies while he "was at work"

but nothing came from that, although the State did argue that hiding stuff in boxes was his orginal M.O. from 1975 and did manage to keep him locked away, until this current round of proceedings.

[MadmamainNC]

Thanks for sharing this MJC. Hope they keep him locked up.

It's stories like this that get me in my dreams. I can read all about bogeymen and watch movies with Freddie, Mike Meyers, some Alien out for revenge, and not be scared after.

It's the crazy ones (not that those above aren't a bit whacked) that really get to me. The small towns with a local yokel, doing the killing. Keeps me up at night.

[LissaLou]

And this was back in the 1970's in Small town Wisconsin no less......
Sadly, it can happen anywhere... :sad:
I live in a very small town. Everyone knows everyone, and the people I know from here, that grew up here, laugh at me for being so protective of my kids and family. I can't make them see that it only takes one screwball to turn this town into a place that feels much less safe. I'm not a paranoid, overprotective, freak but compared to the people from here, I look like one.

[MichaelJCheaney]

The Summit of today really looks nothing like the Summit of the last 3 decades.

All the farmland that was there has been replaced by Subdivisions, and the "McMansions" and really the Western Part of Waukesha County was well primed for it because there are many many small lakes, and because of this over the last 15 years or so people have built houses around that area.

Oconomowoc has really grown up too now highway 67 the main drag through town used to only have a ski hill and some shopping centers with grocery stores (supermarkets for you Non-Wisconsinites:lollypop:) and a K mart)

And now it poised to have a Super Mall, where Pabst Farms used to be....(And Pabst farm was an ICON in the area for many years)

[Trish]

Thanks for the story MJC.....it will be interesting to see what happens in court regarding his release.
Keep us updated.

[syngal]

I finally got a chance to read the story and link today. I can't believe they let a whack job like that to go out unsupervised!
I believe in most States, if you kill someone in L.E., you'd be locked up for life, regardless if your 16.
Keep us posted, and let's hope that wacko is never released.:crazy:

[FlamingFox]

http://i44.tinypic.com/js242x.jpg

Alan Randall

[MichaelJCheaney]

http://i44.tinypic.com/js242x.jpg

Alan Randall

i was looking at the picture on JS Online today since I couldn't get into the courtroom....Stupid media people, and I saw the Pic.

I have HONESTLY NEVER EVER seen a picture of him.

What I am wondering, is what is up with the recent booking photo though? Unless since he is now a guest of Waukesha County, they photographed him just as a matter of procedure?

[wheresthebeef]

I would like to know that if a paranoid schizophrenic gets treatment and is deemed no longer a threat to society, what people expect we do with them. In general.

[MichaelJCheaney]

I would like to know that if a paranoid schizophrenic gets treatment and is deemed no longer a threat to society, what people expect we do with them. In general.

Wisconsin law at the time allowed for a person who was found "Not Guilty by mental disease or defect" as its called here, to be placed in treatment at one of two facilities, either in Madison or Oshkosh to receive treatment, and once they were stabilized, they could go in front of either a judge or jury, and asked to be released, in which case a court appointed shrink would be called in, etc, etc.

Which is whats happening now.

However back in the mid 80's Wisconsin law was changed to say that once a person was deemed no longer a threat, that they had to continue to serve they orginal sentence that would have been imposed had they NOT been found incompetent, after he was released from psychiatric care, he would be moved to a maximum security prison.

All that being said I really don't know what you can do about a person like this in general terms except hope and pray that he has family and that he continues to take his meds.

[wheresthebeef]

Now I totally understand that people need to pay their debt to society, especially if they take a life. However, that being said I also have seen untreated mental patients at their worst. They truly have no concept of right and wrong, good or evil, and should probably not be held accountable for their actions.

I have seen those same patients get treatment through medication and counceling go on to live productive fufilled lives as well.

But the fact remains that they killed someone. The fact remains they could do it again if they drop treatment. But is it fair to punish someone their whole lives for something they had no control over? Such a hard question.

[MichaelJCheaney]

Now I totally understand that people need to pay their debt to society, especially if they take a life. However, that being said I also have seen untreated mental patients at their worst. They truly have no concept of right and wrong, good or evil, and should probably not be held accountable for their actions.

I have seen those same patients get treatment through medication and counceling go on to live productive fufilled lives as well.

But the fact remains that they killed someone. The fact remains they could do it again if they drop treatment. But is it fair to punish someone their whole lives for something they had no control over? Such a hard question.

Especially in this case because the laws were so much different. But the thing is he killed 3 people.(2 Police Officers) and the 3rd victim was a farmer who followed him after Randall stole his car.

Personally I think he should remain locked up for the rest of his life. He ambushed those 2 officers. He actually hid in the bushes with a 30.06 rifle and waited for them to get in the car and that is when he opened fire.

That in my mind at least is intent. Personally I think the whole Mentally incompetent thing was a way for a judge in 1975 to not have to deal with the issue of locking a 16 year old boy away for the rest of his life....because remember we as a society really didn't know anything about paranoid schizophrenia.

Like I said I believe it was just an easy way out for a judge....who at the time had desire to lock a 16 year old boy away, for the rest of his life.....

You are asking some really thought provoking questions.....I like that!