On Aug. 22, exactly one year to the day after their brutal murder, the families of Janna Randolph and Carlos Hudson, with the help of The P.A.C.T. (Prevent Another Crime TODAY) Initiative, gathered at the scene of the murder, as a reminder that the case is still unsolved and to make a plea for anyone with information to “stand up and speak out.”
The event also unveiled the billboard campaign offering $5,000 to anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of their murderer.
Randolph, then 49, and Hudson, then 41, both of McKeesport, were both found on Aug. 22, 2013, with multiple gunshot wounds, in a crashed vehicle in the 2300 block of Riverview Street, in McKeesport.
“My life has changed tremendously. I basically view the community and the world different. I’m trying to find positive out here in such negative situations going on.” said Mae Hudson, Hudson’s mother. “I hope more people come forward and just do the right thing. There’s just no way that the murders should feel comfortable because we’re not giving up. And we just know that eventually there will be a break in the case.”
Valerie Dixon, executive director of P.A.C.T. and who began the unsolved homicide billboard campaign in 2001 after suffering the violent loss of her son, said she wanted to hold the vigil on the anniversary and at the site in hopes of jogging someone’s memory.
“I thought that it might ring a bell for someone. It’s the same time of year, and having a memorial where it actually happened might ring a bell of that night and they might (remember) the slightest clue which could be a big clue for detectives,” she said.
Mae Hudson said Carlos, who was the father of eight, was very active in his children’s lives, especially when it came to football and that she is trying to encourage her grandchildren to stay positive. She said he trained his sons from their early ages and that some have even received scholarships. But what hurts the most, she said, is that Hudson did not get to see their accomplishments.
“He doesn’t get to see the end result of their high school years, but I believe in the power of God, and I strongly believe and know that although he’s not here in presence, he’s here in spirit. I’m able to move on because he had a good spirit and he was a good man. I’m surviving off the good person that I know that he was.”
Randolph’s daughter, Camille Mockabee, said losing her mother has affected both her and her children. She said her mother enjoyed being with her family and that the hardest part is “just knowing that I can’t call my mother or that she can’t call me.”
While Mockabee said there have not been any leads, Mae Hudson said there have been a few, but no arrests. She said the Allegheny County police continue to tell her “they’re not giving up and will work it until it’s solved.”
“I want to believe that they are doing the best that they can for the families who have lost their loved one,” she said. “And not just (letting) this case sit there and be another unsolved mystery that we have here. We have over 50 unsolved murders here in McKeesport.”
Although both families have faith in the police, their hope remains with the community. They both are pleading for the community to come forward so that their loved ones can receive justice and their families can get closure.
With all the murders in the community, many of them unsolved, Dixon said there just isn’t enough money for all of them and also asks for the community’s help.
“We need people to speak up and speak out. Get these murderers off the street and roaming because they will kill again,” she said. “It’s my contribution and part of my healing process too.”
Anyone with information in this case is asked to call 1-866-664-2882. You can remain anonymous and witness protection is available too.
(For more information on The P.A.C.T. Initiative, visit www.makeapac.org.)
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