Sheriff’s Detectives Make Arrest In 1993 Murder Case

Thu., May 23, 1996

Gita Sitaramiah Staff writer

Sheriff’s detectives arrested a man Wednesday in a three-year-old Spokane Valley murder case.

Clinton J. Buchmann, 25, 3323 W. Hoffman, was booked into the Spokane County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder.

He’s accused of fatally beating an acquaintance - 22-year-old William J. Randolph.

A woman and her son found Randolph’s body in July 1993, while checking a fence on their property in the 7900 block of North Bruce, authorities said.

Detectives think Randolph was killed two months earlier, after he served time in jail for a theft conviction.

The victim’s body was found in a patch of woods at the bottom of an embankment.

Randolph, whose last known address was an apartment on North Regal, was never reported missing.

Sheriff’s Lt. John Simmons said Buchmann and the victim knew each other. Simmons was unable to provide a motive for the killing.

On Wednesday morning, detectives arrested Buchmann at the Spokane Industrial Park, where he works as a laborer.

Buchmann has three prior convictions in Spokane County for assault, possession of stolen property and car theft.

Buchmann is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

, DataTimes

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