Items discarded behind a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Georgia in 1985 have led to murder charges against a suspect in an Ohio killing from the same period, authorities announced. The case of slain traveling salesman John Warren is among the latest to demonstrate how modern forensic testing on decades-old evidence can resolve cold cases.
Background of the Case
John Warren, of Dalton, Georgia, worked for an auto parts company and was staying at the Holiday Inn in Middletown, Ohio, for scheduled sales meetings on October 16, 1985, according to Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell. He was found dead in his hotel room the next day; his 1985 Oldsmobile and other belongings were missing.
Discovery of Evidence
Days later, police in Dalton recovered some of Warren's property and other relevant items discarded behind a Cracker Barrel there. Warren's car was located in Redington Beach, Florida. Middletown is about 396 miles north of Dalton, while Redington Beach is about 570 miles south.
Reinvestigation and Forensic Breakthrough
Detectives had leads at the time but insufficient evidence to charge a suspect. In 2019, the Middletown sheriff's office assigned investigators to re-examine the murder. They submitted items from the hotel room, car, and Cracker Barrel for crime lab analysis. The results identified Randy McAllister, 62, of Columbus, Ohio, as a potential suspect, along with an alleged accomplice who is now deceased.
Charges and Court Proceedings
Fornshell's office presented evidence to a grand jury in late June, which indicted McAllister on murder and aggravated murder charges. McAllister was jailed on July 1 and pleaded not guilty at an arraignment on July 9, with bail set at $500,000. At the arraignment, an assistant prosecutor said Warren was fatally strangled and beaten before his car and property were stolen, according to WKRC. The defense requested $50,000 bond, but Judge Robert Peeler set it at $500,000 due to prior convictions for aggravated robbery and felonious assault in 1985 and 1992, per WLWT.
Legal Consequences
Fornshell credited a tenacious investigation for the charges. If convicted of aggravated murder, McAllister faces life imprisonment under Ohio law.
