Convicted Killer Who Died In Prison Wanted To Tell His Story

Wednesday, June 13th 2007, 4:24 pm

By: News On 6

A man whose real life reads more like fiction, died in prison Wednesday morning. Randolph Dial took many secrets to his grave. He had promised to tell those secrets to News On 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright, but ran out of time. She reports on one of Oklahoma's most infamous prisoners.

Randolph Dial sent several letters to us starting in December. He said he was dying, and even sent his medical records that showed he had tumors in his lungs and liver. Dial said he was finally ready to tell the truth about the murder he committed, and his relationship with Bobbi Parker, the deputy wardenâ€™s wife he was accused of kidnapping.

Randolph Dial's first letter reminisced about his childhood in Cookson Hills, Oklahoma. In it he discussed his favorite authors and offered to tell years worth of bottled up secrets.

In his letters to News On 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright Dial gave the name of the person he said paid him $5,000 to murder a Broken Arrow martial arts instructor in 1981. Dial wrote, "The man, a known north side crime figure and cocaine kingpin, told me Hogan had reneged on a drug deal. I believed the man's motive (which later proved false) because I knew he was a mover and shaker in the drug culture, and he in turn felt I might be interested in the contract because of my unbending, blind, hatred of anyone who dealt hard drugs to youngsters."

Kelly Hogan's murder went unsolved until the 90s when Dial came forward and confessed. He was later sentenced to life in prison.

Dial was an acclaimed artist and sculptor and was eventually placed in a medium security facility to teach a pottery class to other prisoners. The deputy warden's wife, Bobbi Parker, helped run the class. Her daughters were 8 and 10 when Dial is accused of kidnapping Parker in August of 1994. She called twice to say she was okay and would be home soon. Nearly 11 years later, a tip to â€˜America's Most Wantedâ€™ led police to Parker and Dial, living on a chicken ranch in Texas as Richard and Samantha Diehl.

After his arrest, Dial stood by the story she'd been held against her will. Bobbi Parker was reunited with her husband, and was never charged in the case.

Randolph received an additional seven year sentence for the escape, but told us, "I'll trade seven years for 11 years again, again and again-till all the cows come home, it's a no brainer," Dial wrote.

Dial said before he died he wanted to see the man who hired him to do the murder, in prison. He offered to take lie detectors and even truth serum, and he hoped he could give a deposition on videotape to be used later at the man's trial. Dial wrote, â€œIf I die before such an updated deposition is taken a man will have gotten away with murder and continue to practice his mischief among the unsuspecting citizens of Northeastern Oklahoma.â€

The prison refused to let The News On 6 or anyone else interview Dial after he was captured in 2005.

Crime reporter Lori Fullbright called the man Dial claims paid him to do the murder. The man does live in Tulsa and is now in his 70's, but has not returned our call.

Dial said now that he'd given Lori the information about the murder, he was willing to tell the truth about Bobbi Parker, but he took that information with him to the grave.

Watch the video: Infamous Oklahoma Prisoner Dies In Penitentiary

Related Stories:

11/2/2006 Randolph Dial To Be Tried On Escape Charge

2/1/2007 Randolph Dial Sentenced On Escape Charge

6/13/2007 Dial Pronounced Dead At Oklahoma Penitentiary