Actions

He vanished from a Richmond nightclub. His dad won’t stop searching for him.

Posted at 7:51 AM, Oct 24, 2022
and last updated 2022-10-24 20:18:14-04

RICHMOND, Va. -- Randall Collins was 24 years old when he vanished without a trace from Richmond, Virginia in April 2014. Now, more than eight years later, his father Rannie Williams reached out to CBS 6 Crime Insider Jon Burkett and the ReOpen the Case Foundation to shed light on the missing person’s mystery.

Randall Collins 04.png

“Randall was reportedly going down to the club district down in the Bottom, The Canal Club," Richmond Police Detective Clarence Key said. "There are different accounts stating that he was seen leaving the club, standing outside of the club, along the Canal Walk that's close by the club. There are some reports that he was seen possibly getting into a vehicle with a couple of males."

In May 2014, dive teams discovered a body in the canal, but it was determined after an autopsy that those remains were not Randall Collins.

Randall Collins 01.png

“At that time in his life, he made a total change. I mean, actually, he accepted God into his life and started to turn his life around. He stopped drinking, and just this day, I don't know why, he decided he couldn't give us call and he wanted to go out. For this to happen, it came as a shock to everybody," Randall’s father Rannie Williams said.

Randall Collins 03.png

Williams believes something bad happened to his son because he was a no-show after a couple of deaths in the family.

Williams said Randall would never have missed his mother and grandmother's funerals.

Williams is hoping someone watching or someone who may have been at the club will call police with needed information to solve his son’s disappearance.

“It drains me. It takes everything from your soul. You know, just knowing that it's no conclusion. I mean, I pray and hope the best but not knowing is horrible," he said.

If you have any information please call the Reopen the Case Foundation at 833-RTC-FNVA.

This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.