Washington Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on January 17, 2008

Click here to view bill details.

My name is Lisa Moore I am the sister of Randall Ferguson who was murdered over two years ago. I am the one fighting to have this bill passed. My brothers wife killed him and was sentenced to 27 years and her two adult children were involved in rendering criminal assistance and because of the way this law is written they received no jail or prison time. I believe this is wrong. The way the law is written it says the children were influenced by the mother there for they are not held accountable. There is no age limit on this law and I want to put an age limit of 18. These children were 19 and 21 years old and if it was anyone else not a relative we would be looking at several years in prison. It should not matter if you are related to the killer. Hold them accountable. I am raising my brothers only little girl whom was in the house at the time of the murder. She dosent understand why they are not in jail too. They should be. She was 4 years old at the time. What are we saying that if your mother murders and you assist her its ok because she was your mother? At age 18 you vote, you drive a car you can fight in a war and in any other crime you would be held accountable.This law needs to be passed. One of the children helped stuff my brothers 280 pound body in the trunk of a car and they both destroyed evidence and lied to the police for 6 days.They helped clean a murder scene and just did things that should be punishable by the law. To know that they are just walking in the world not being held responsible for there part is an additional pain to have to deal with. I cant be the only one to think this is wrong and I knew nothing about this law until my brother was murdered. I dont think many if anyone knows about this law. Thank you Randall Fergusons sister Lisa Moore.

My name is Paul Dunsford and my wife Florence joins me in this comment relative to HB 2868 "Randy's Law. We live in Michigan and Randy Ferguson was our nephew. It is most difficult to explain here the depth of agony we have experienced in watching our Washington (Puyallup) family struggle in the loss of their son, brother, uncle and most of all father to his 4 year old daughter. Randy was brutally murdered by his wife with the assistance of her two adult age children with the result being the children could not be prosecuted due to their relationship with their murdering mother. We plead with our family for the passing of HB2868 to include persons under the age of 18 to be held equally responsible when a horrific crime such as this is committed. Please pass this bill in memory of our beloved Randy. Thank you, Paul & Florence Dunsford Marlette, Michigan

We are friends of the family and have seen the pain in the eyes of Randy's mother and father. Parents always think their children will never die before them. Sometimes, there is no choice because of illness. This however was an act of hate that took their son from them. Randy's wife was the one with so much hate she convinced her adult children to help her. She has been held accountable for his death but her grown children have not been held accountable for their part in the murder of Randy. The law states because they were the children of the murderer they cannot be held liable for their part. How foolish is this law!! If they helped a stranger they would be accomplices but not if they help their parent. This is "outragious"!! Randy is gone but in his name he can still help others. Please pass Randy's Law. Larry and Sue Snoke

I think that if somebody who commits a crime over the age of 18 should be held accountable for their actions. These are two competent adults who should have had their day in court. It should not matter if they were related or not. These two individuals knew what their mother did was wrong and not only did they help her but they lied to police to cover it up. If we allow such an injustice to continue what kind of precedence are we setting for the youth in this state? This is a loophole that needs to be fixed. I urge you to right this wrong so future families will not have to suffer the indignity that the Ferguson family has had to face. (Chris Martin)

my name is pat mccasey from meaquite tx. I am randys aunt I can not understand how my nephews adult step kids got away with helping their mother cover up his murder, they are grown adults that knew from right an wrong.but still you let them get away with it. I would like to see you pass RANDYS LAW so other familys dont have to hurt like my familys are going thru right now.

We did not know Randy, however we cannot even fatham how this could happen. Please pass this law. Everyone involved with a crime, needs to be held accountable!! Greg and Cassie Meacham

We did not know Randy, however we cannot even fatham how this could happen. Please pass this law. Everyone involved with a crime, needs to be held accountable!! Greg and Cassie Meacham

As a citizen I want our courts and legislators to know that we are standing behind this law. We are standing for justice and truth. A family of five who believes in our court system and believes that G-d has all things in His hands, but we as people need to stand with justice to know that justice is served to those who deserve it. Thou shall not commit murder is one of the foundational laws of hummanity. Every person of age knows from the bottom of their being that it is wrong to murder. Everyone should be held accountable for their actions. G-d will serve justice from heaven, but we should serve justice from the earth.

My name is Dawn Marie Patterson and I along with the rest of my family and friends believe this bill needs to be past. We have had to deal with seeing these adult children walking around town living their lives as if they did nothing! When we know what part they had in helping their mother cover up a murder. We had to sit in a court room a watch them get no more than a slap on the wrist and that is just plain wrong. Please help us pass this bill so no other families has to go thru what our family has. Thank Dawn Patterson

I believe in JUSTICE being served. If you commit a crime you deserve to get full punishment regardless of your relationship to the victim or others committing the crime. If you are a minor under the age of 18 and were cohersed into committing a crime then yes you should be protected by the House Bill 2868 "Randy's Law"! Every adult (age 18) needs to be held responsible for their own actions. If commit you pay!!! All children know how to say No for everything else in life; so being cohersed into a crime can easily be walked away from helping commit. Those adult children need to be punished just like their mother for committing a brutal crime such as aiding in the killing of their step father. Please honor HB 2868 "Randy's LAW" so others do not have to grieve like the Ferguson Family. Thank you!!! Michelle Hamilton

Please pass this law. Protection of adults because they assisted a parent in committing a crime is just wrong. Adults should be responsible for their own behavior. If they are influenced or coerced by a parent, their responsibility is not diminished. I have seen the pain that my brother's wife and her family have suffered due to her brother's murder. To see Randy's step children go unpunished just adds to their pain. Kathy Evans (sister-in-law to Randy's sister)

I was surprised when learning of the existance of such a law. I am a sister-in-law of one of Randy's sisters. I only met Randy once or twice but have seen the damage this senseless crime did to his family. All adults are responsible for their actions and their relationship to the victim and they must be accountible for their actions. Why should someone be allow- to go free when their sister lives the rest of her life wondering why this terrible crime was committed against her Dad and they helped in his death. Thank you for your consideration in changing this law so that there will be "justice for all." Elizabeth Batchelder Puyallup WA

I’m a supporter of “Randy’s Law” because I believe that anyone over the age of 18 who renders criminal assistance in helping a parent cover up a violent crime should be charged with a felony. Lew Cox, Violent Crime Victim Services

Adults should be held accountable for the actions they take. No other families need to feel the betrayal this family has felt from the legal system that is supposed to hand out justice. Jennifer Skol

whats wrong with this picture? Two adult children walk away free of charges for hwelping helping their mother kill her husband. Please, please, make randys law, a reality so this doesn't happen again. the hurt, agony and frustration the ferguson family has endured over the last couple years is horrendous and mind numbing. randy you will be in our hearts forever, we love you randy. your uncle and aunt sandy and mary ferguson oxnard,ca

My name is Laura Bailey. I am Randy's oldest sister. Words can never truly express how this law has burdened our family. How do you explain to your children that their uncles adult "step-children" who knew of their mothers plans to have him murdered, never came forward. Plus when she did commit the crime they assisted her in the cover up and are now free to walk among us while we go about our daily life. ALL adults must be accountable for their actions!! We must send a message so no one ever will have to experience what our family and families before us have had to go through. Please pass Randy's Law, it is the right thing to do. This is for you, Randy. Love, your big sis.

We have been friends with Fergy's for many years. Yes, we have seen the pain the whole family has endured, including Allison, Randy's little girl.It has been painful to see our friends hurt and we will do anything to support them. We support Randy's Law 2868 in memory of Randy Ferguson. LeRoy and Ginger Schmidt

It was a sad day when I learned that the adult children of Randy's murderer would not be held accountable for their participation in the senseless, premeditated death of an innocent man. I never would have thought that anyone could be given a slap on the wrist after being involved with and covering up a murder simply because of their relation to the murderer. At what age are children required to take responsibility for their actions? In all other aspects of the law children become responsible for their actions at age 18, but not when involved in a murder as long as the murderer is your mother. What kind of message is this sending? Unfortunately, it is too late for the Ferguson family to get the justice that Randy Ferguson deserved, but it is not too late for other families like them who will have to go through this heartache in the future. Please pass this law and send a new message, the right message. No matter the relation, being involved in a murder will be punishable with the full extent of the law. Josie Nordyke

It's totally absurd that the 18 year old child of a criminal cannot be prosecuted for aiding an abetting in a crime commited by a parent, particularly one as brutal as murder. At 18, we are old enough to vote and to die for our country. Why cannot we be held responsible for our actions? This loophole definitely needs to be closed s that all involved in a crime are held accountable for their actions. John & Gerry Miller, Rock Hill, SC

How is it possible that two adults can roam free just because they helped "mommy" do the crime? Adults need to be held accountable for their actions. A crime is a crime whether they are assisting a relative or some random person. There is a huge difference between a six year old helping out mommy and an adult assisting in a crime. How sad for Randy's family to know that Randy's adult step-children were able to assist in this crime against his life and not serve time for this horrible event. Please pass Randy's Bill and hold all adults accountable for their actions. It's too late for Randy, but perhaps it will make others think twice and save future lives.

Please change the wording with the current Washington State Family Law. Place the responsibility on adults, legal age eighteen; who assist in disposing evidence after a parent commits murder. This law in its inception was intended to protect minors under the age of eighteen; not nineteen and twenty one year old adults. Please realize the step-children involved in this crime deceived, lied and misled the detectives tasked to uncover the details of this crime. They had numerous opportunities to assist the detectives with this murder and chose to mislead it. This in my opinion was a conscious effort on their part not to protect their mother; but to protect themselves from prosecution. This loophole is a serious travesty of justice for families throughout Washington State. Please don’t add to our burden by allowing adults children involved in deposing of evidence to walk free among law abiding citizens of Washington State. The step-children don’t deserve to have the same rights as we do. They broke the law and because of a loophole their free. We’ve been horrifically victimized by Randy’s murder in ways you will never imagine. We can’t go shopping at local establishments; we can’t eat at local restaurants. Because we have on numerous occasions come face to face with the step-children involved in covering up this horrendous crime. They’re going about their daily lives with their children without guilt or embarrassment for what they did to Randy Ferguson; their step-father. Their participation with this crime was a sick, dishonest, heartless and inexcusable. They assisted in covering up the murder of their step-father who loved them unconditionally. I miss my brother-in-law Randy with all that I have; I miss talking with my brother, I miss his laugh at Sunday dinner. I miss hugging and telling him I love him; it’s not the big things I miss. Were a straightforward, highly regarded, respectable family in search of justice for Randy? Pass Randy’s Law make adult children responsible and accountable for their part in covering up a murder. I employ you to swiftly pass house bill 2868 also known as Randy’s Law. Thank you for your time and continued support. Respectfully, Aaron Moore

I was totally angered when I read in the paper that these 2 adults were getting away with helping their mother commit murder and at the time I had never met any of the family. I met them yesterday in Olympia at the Day of Remembrance and stand even more angered today. As an adult if you commit a crime you should be held accountable for your actions. At that age you should know right from wrong, not get away with it because she is your mother. I support this law in every way. My thoughts and prayers are with the family, but know that you have many more out there just like me who are completely behind you 100%. My heart aches for you all as it aches for what I am dealing with as well. Dawn Mesa (sister of Kenneth Wolfe murdered in Monroe Washington 2/26/08; whose killer will most likely spend a mere 1 year in prison for his crimes)

My name is Roberta and I was involved in an outside kind of way in Randy's case. I have never in my life had an event leave such a sad mark across my heart. I never had the privilege to meet Randy but I have met some of his family. The pain and misery that has been bestowed upon them is something that could have been prevented!! The crime itself is awful but to let the accomplices get off scott-free is even more awful!!! First of all, they are not children!!! They were 19 and 21! Last I checked the law states the individuals are "of age" at 18. The courts will charge defendants that are below the 18 age on any other crimes, so why have they chosen to ignore this crime? Justice was never served upon Randy and it is high time that the state recognize this and do something about it!! I am an ABSOLUTE support in this bill and pray every night that it will pass! If in the event that the state refuses this bill, we must all rely on our strength in each other and God to uphold the memory of Randy. We wrote your name on a piece of paper and by accident threw it away. We wrote your name on our hands but the water washed it away. We wrote you name on the sand but the waves whispered it away. We wrote your name on our hearts and forever it will stay!! Hear our cries and carry out justice!! Sincerely, Roberta M. Puy,WA

It is appauling to think that in this day and age that someone over 18 can get away with an unthinkable crime, such as rendering criminal assistance to murder. Furthermore, there are similar cases, in Washington, that this rule did not apply, so why in this one? Please get Randy's Law passed so that another family does not have to go through what the Fergusons' have, and to take a stand for what is right. Terrie Noble Thurston County Coordinator Violent Crime Victim Services