Wife of Suspect Allegedly Found Next to His Dead Baby Was Pregnant When She Was Killed: Police
Jeremy Albert Best was charged Monday with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his wife Kali Jean Randall and her unborn child
A new criminal complaint filed Monday revealed that Kali Jean Randall, the Idaho mother who police allege was shot and killed by her husband last Thursday, was expecting a second child when she was killed.
In the complaint, obtained initially by the East Idaho News and reviewed by PEOPLE, authorities allege that Randall, 38, was shot and killed in her home last Thursday night by her husband Jeremy Albert Best. Best, 48, then fled the scene with their 10-month-old child Zeke, who was later found dead when his father was allegedly discovered naked inside a sleeping bag on the side of an Idaho road, authorities allege.
An amended criminal complaint filed Monday in the Idaho 7th Judicial District Court alleges that Best shot his wife from behind and did so “willfully, unlawfully, deliberately, with premeditation and malice aforethought.”
The complaint says that Best has formally been charged with two counts of murder in the first degree. Those charges are connected with his wife Kali and his unborn child’s deaths. Best was also charged with the illegal use of a firearm.
Bonneville County Coroner Rick Taylor has not yet released a cause of death for Zeke, the couple’s 10-month-old child. Taylor did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Monday, and the Teton County Prosecuting Attorney's office said they could not comment on the case or whether Best was expected to face more potential charges.
The Bonneville County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that Best was discovered on Saturday morning when a group of hunters happened upon him while he was allegedly laying naked inside a sleeping bag on the side of the road near Idaho Falls, Idaho – roughly 60 miles away from the family’s home in Victor, Idaho, where Kali and her unborn child were killed.
Baby Zeke’s body was discovered near where Best was found, the sheriff’s office said.
The 911 caller had told authorities that Best was allegedly naked and “making odd statements” when he was found, the sheriff’s office added. After he was medically cleared, Best was taken into custody and booked at the Bonneville County Jail, where police say he would remain until his arraignment.
“Our thoughts are with the family of the victims involved in this case,” the sheriff’s office said. “Further information about this case will be available at an appropriate time in the future as the investigation is still ongoing.”
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Brian Randall, Kali’s brother, told PEOPLE last week that the family was unaware of any existing issues between the Idaho couple.
Kali’s brother said his sister “was absolutely a genuine beautiful soul” and that he never suspected Best of being anything but “a normal guy.”
"Sometimes maybe you don't know people,” Brian said, tearfully.
Related: Idaho Mom Killed, Baby Missing and 'Armed and Very Dangerous' Husband Is on the Run: Police
Brian said his sister first met Best in 2009. The couple got married in September 2022, according to Kali’s social media posts. She was an artist who made handcrafted jewelry and formerly worked as a veterinarian technician, her brother said.
Randall's family released a statement to the media, including PEOPLE, thanking the public for their support in recent days.
“Our Zeke is now at rest with his loving mama and unborn sibling,” the family said. “The pain we feel is unimaginable and we thank everyone for their support. You will never know how you have lifted our family up during this time."
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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