JUST IN: Florida Has Executed Richard Barry Randolph For Killing His Boss
On November 20th, 2025, after spending 35 years on death row, Richard Barry Randolph was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison. This year, Florida reached a historic record of 17 executions, and Randolph was one of them. He had been sentenced for the 1988 murder of his manager. In this video, I’ll walk you through what happened that day, what we know about his last meal, and whether he left any final words before he died.
On August 15th, 1988, at just 26 years old, Richard Barry Randolph committed a brutal act of violence at the Handy Way convenience store in East Palatka. Nine months earlier, Randolph had walked into the store looking for a job. He had tried several other places without success, until the manager, Minnie Ruth McCollum, saw something in him that others hadn’t.
Even though he had no work experience, she decided to give him a chance. During the first few months, Richard proved to be dedicated and responsible, and his performance was so strong that Ruth felt confident she had made the right choice. Richard had no family and no stable place to live. Still, thanks to his job, he managed to rent a small house.
But everything changed abruptly. Over time, Richard became addicted to cocaine. At first, he used only a little, but the dependency grew to the point where he could no longer pay his rent. He ended up living in a dumpster located beside the store. That situation began to show in his behavior. He was irritable, unkempt, showed up late, and on at least one occasion, stole from the business. Because of this, Ruth reluctantly made the decision to fire him.
The Crime
On August 15th, 1988, the worst happened. Randolph, worn down by months of addiction and living in extreme conditions, walked into the Handy Way store that morning intending to rob it. He carried a toy gun, believing it would be enough to intimidate. But when Minnie Ruth McCollum caught him trying to open the safe, an argument broke out that escalated quickly.
She realized the weapon wasn’t real, and from that moment, everything spiraled out of control. In a prolonged attack, Randolph beat her repeatedly with his hands and slammed her head against hard surfaces. McCollum tried to defend herself, but he strangled her with the drawstring of his sweatshirt until she lost consciousness.
When she came to and began screaming for help, he resumed the assault, striking her again until she was unable to resist. Then, in an even more brutal escalation, he grabbed a small knife and stabbed her several times in the neck and head. After that, he removed her clothing from the waist down and sexually assaulted her.
The Aftermath and Arrest
After the attack, Randolph took McCollum’s car keys, stole her vehicle, and at the same time, witnesses Terry Sorrell, Dorothy Petilla, and Debra Petilla saw him wearing an employee shirt locking the front door of the Handy Way convenience store. The women questioned Randolph about why the store was closed and where McCollum was. Randolph told them that McCollum’s car had broken down and that she had borrowed his. He said he had already fixed her car and was on his way to pick her up. Then he walked away from the store.
The three women looked through the store window. They saw that the security camera was out of its usual position and that there were cables in the trash can. They also noticed that the store was in disarray. The trash can was overturned and the counter was a mess. Concerned, they called the sheriff’s office to report the situation. But by that time, Randolph had already fled.
An officer arrived quickly and found McCollum still alive. She was lying on her back, struggling to breathe and letting out faint moans, with blood running from her head and neck. She was rushed to the hospital in a coma. She remained unconscious for 6 days before ultimately dying from the severe brain injuries caused by the beating and attack carried out by Randolph.
Randolph was arrested later that same day at a grocery store in Jacksonville, where he was trying to borrow money and cash several lottery tickets he had stolen from McCollum’s store. After taking him into custody, investigators had him point out the bloodstained clothing he had discarded while fleeing. Shortly afterward, Randolph confessed to the attack and provided a detailed account of what had happened.
Trial and Death Row
In 1989, he was found guilty of first-degree murder, armed robbery, sexual assault, and grand theft. During the penalty phase, the jury voted 8 to 4 in favor of the death penalty. The judge accepted the recommendation and imposed a capital sentence. The court identified four aggravating factors: the crime was committed during a sexual assault, it was carried out to avoid arrest, it was motivated by financial gain, and it was deemed especially heinous, atrocious, and cruel.
Randolph spent more than three decades on Florida’s death row. For 35 years, he filed appeals, post-conviction motions, habeas petitions, and clemency requests, all of which were denied. Over the years, Randolph developed systemic lupus, an autoimmune disease that severely compromised his health. Medical experts warned that, because of his condition, Florida’s three-drug lethal injection protocol could cause extreme pain and death by suffocation, potentially violating the Eighth Amendment.
However, in November 2025, the Florida Supreme Court rejected these claims, ruling that they had been filed past the allowed deadline. On October 21st, 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the death warrant, scheduling Randolph’s execution for November 20th, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time at Florida State Prison near Starke. With this, he became the 17th person executed in Florida in 2025, the highest annual total recorded in the state since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
The Execution
The day of Richard Barry Randolph’s execution finally arrived. Richard woke up at 4:00 a.m., took a shower, and received a visit from a spiritual advisor. He had no family visits or phone calls; he had grown up an orphan. His final meal had been offered the night before: a double hamburger with lettuce and tomato, fried onion rings with ketchup, and a serving of cherry pie with whipped cream.
At 5:50 p.m., he was taken to the execution chamber. At 6:00 p.m., officials began attempting to establish an IV line, and after several minutes, the drugs finally began to flow. The entire process lasted about 6 minutes. Richard moved, gasped, and grimaced before he died. His death was officially pronounced at 6:30 p.m.
Throughout the procedure, he remained silent, eyes closed. When given the opportunity to offer final words, he chose not to speak. The execution proceeded without incident, aside from the initial delay in locating a suitable vein. The lights in the viewing room were kept off, except for the minimal illumination needed inside the chamber. There were no demonstrations or protests outside the prison.
