Dateline: 5 harrowing details about Randy Baker’s murder, explored

Dateline recounted the true crime story of Randy Baker, who was murdered by his nephew Kelly Raisley, working alongside his wife Kelly Baker and his elder sister Carol Baker. As revealed on Dateline, Randy Baker was a fifty-nine-year-old substance abuse counselor who had a history of drug addiction.

He was also suffering from a deteriorating heart condition, and following his death, it was initially surmised that he had succumbed to heart failure. However, it was soon discovered that he had been shot twice, and therefore his death was ruled a homicide. Here, we take a look at five harrowing details from the murder of Randy Baker as revealed by Dateline.

Dateline: What are 5 disturbing details from the murder case of Randy Baker?

Keep reading to learn more.

1) Randy Baker's troubled past

Following the murder of her husband, Kelly Baker spoke to the police detectives about the possibility of Randy’s troubled past finally catching up with him. She tried her best to give the impression that Randy was murdered by someone from his past with whom he had a feud. Back when he was twenty-eight years old and working as a lineman for the local power company, Randy was severely electrocuted in a workplace accident and sustained permanent heart damage.

In order to alleviate the pain, Randy turned to drugs and soon became addicted to alcohol and substance abuse. This was also the time that he worked as a drug dealer. Randy maintained this lifestyle for three years before he finally came clean.

2) Randy Baker shared a cordial relationship with his nephew

After becoming a substance abuse counselor, Randy tried his best to help those around him struggling with addiction and substance abuse. One such person he helped, who genuinely looked up to him, was his nephew and Carol Baker’s son, Kelly Raisley. The latter had sent him this Father’s Day message in 2015:

"My dearest uncle, … not only have you been a role model and inspiration to me, but the closest person I’ve ever had as a real father figure."

Raisley had a troubled past himself, as he was formerly associated with a white supremacist gang and had spent time in jail.

3) Carol and Kelly Baker conspired to murder Randy

Police investigators eventually discovered that Carol Baker and Kelly Baker had conspired together to get rid of Randy. The two exchanged thousands of text messages prior to the murder, and although they provided strong alibis for the night of the murder, Carol eventually confessed to having her son kill Randy. Kelly stood to gain a $130,000 insurance policy and the family house from Randy’s death.

4) Raisley pulled the trigger

As mentioned on Dateline, Raisley committed the murder in exchange for a promise of $10,000 along with Randy’s beloved Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He entered Randy’s Colorado home and shot him twice.

5) The conviction

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Raisley and Kelly Baker were subsequently found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Carol, on her part, was sentenced to thirty years in prison.

Dateline is exclusively available on NBC.

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