The Associated Press
SMITHS GROVE, Ky. — A Simpson County Sheriff’s deputy, wanted in the fatal shooting of his former girlfriend, was captured in the Midwest, according to Kentucky State Police.
Randall Creek, 41, was caught at a motel in Waterloo, Iowa.
Senior Kentucky State Police dispatcher Danny Rendleman said the KSP post in Bowling Green was notified early Tuesday that Creek was in the custody of the Blackhawk County, Iowa, sheriff.
Creek is wanted on a warrant for murder in the death of his ex-girlfriend, Debbie R. Rediess, 46, authorities said. Rediess was shot to death outside her home Sunday morning in Smiths Grove, 85 miles south of Louisville.
Authorities said Creek sent an e-mail to the KSP, a newspaper and about 30 other recipients, taunting police and confessing to the killing.
In the e-mail, he threatened a county jailer and told police he was going to “make them earn their money” in their search for him.
“I am not running to get away but I am going to make the KSP earn their money on this one,” Creek said in the e-mail, which was posted on The Daily News of Bowling Green’s Web site. “I have never been armed after the encounter and there will be no chase or struggle I assure you.”
Authorities, however, said they believed Creek was armed with at least a handgun.
Late Monday afternoon, Creek sent another e-mail to law enforcement and media in which he threatened Warren County Jailer Jackie Strode. Creek ran as a Republican in the 2002 jailer’s race and was defeated by Strode, the incumbent. Creek also said in the e-mail that Strode fired him from a job at the county jail in 1999.
“If I have contact with him at his facility I assure you I will kill him with my bare hands and he knows I am capable even before this encounter happened,” he said in the e-mail.
Holder said police had notified Strode, the jail and area law enforcement.
Hours before Rediess was shot, Creek sent an e-mail to The Daily News describing his feelings for her. It was one of several letters Creek had written to the paper in recent years, the newspaper reported.
In the letter, Creek said Rediess ended their relationship after five years because he wouldn’t set a wedding date.
“I don’t blame her for leaving but I guess the message I am trying to get across to couples in this area is never take for granted that your spouse or girlfriend will always be there,” he wrote in the e-mail. “To my darling Debbie I love you very much and I hope that one day we will be married and live happily ever after.”
State police got Creek’s personal e-mail address from the suspect’s brother and sent their own message asking Creek to turn himself in. Three hours and 35 minutes later, Creek responded, saying he had become jealous after seeing his ex-girlfriend with another man.
When he gets back to KY he’lll get bond & go out & do something worse
I’m sure. The key to keeping these people in jail is to set the bond
so high they can’t make it & Lord know this guy thinks he is a very
special.
It is like the drug trafficing in KY, give them bond so they can go do a more horrific crime. However, I think UNITE has learned much.
Southern men think they are KING & women don’t have any right. They
are still in frontier days & have been getting away with it!