OSAGE – A Hampton man accused of murdering his girlfriend has been found guilty and will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Ronald Lee Rand, age 61, faced a charge of murder in the first degree. Hampton police say that on Sunday December 13, 2015, at approximately 5:48 PM, Franklin County Dispatch received a call of a possible suicidal subject at 621 1st Street NE in Hampton. Upon further investigation, officers discovered that the victim, 51-year-old old Michelle Key of Waterloo, was deceased with a gunshot wound.
The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) appeared on the scene, and the Hampton Police Department was assisted in investigating the shooting death by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Medical Examiner, Franklin County Attorney’s Office, and Franklin General Ambulance.
Rand was soon arrested, jailed, and later moved to the Cerro Gordo county jail to await court proceedings, which were held in Mitchell county due to media coverage. Rand and his public defender, Susan Flander, earlier filed a not-guilty plea. Bond had been set at a million dollars, and a request to lower that amount was denied.
In August, Rand was found guilty. After a victim impact statement was introduced in court, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibly of parole.