Downtown death of Michigan man labeled homicide

5/16/2006

A Michigan man whose body was found outside a downtown Toledo building last month was the victim of a homicide, authorities said yesterday.

Randolph Regan, 58, of Rochester, Mich., died from a combined drug intoxication of methadone and alcohol, according to the Lucas County coroner's office. His death April 29 was ruled a homicide after toxicology results were returned.

The motive appears to be a robbery that went bad, Toledo police Detective Larry Anderson said.

Police have a suspect in the case, but no charges have been filed. The suspect is being held in the Lucas County jail on unrelated charges.

Police believe the suspect used methadone to subdue Mr. Regan and take his jewelry, which was recovered at a local pawn shop.

Detective Anderson said Mr. Regan came to Toledo to visit a friend, and the two went to the Rip Cord bar, 115 North Erie St., downtown. That's where police said Mr. Regan met the suspect.

Mr. Regan's friend left the bar, saying he would return in about an hour. When the friend returned, Mr. Regan and the suspect were gone.

After the friend didn't hear from Mr. Regan by the next day, he filed a missing-person report, the detective said.

Unbeknownst to the friend, Mr. Regan's body was found outside 701 Jefferson Ave., but he was listed as a "John Doe" because he had no identification or jewelry on his body, authorities said.

Detective Anderson said he does not know how Mr. Regan ingested the methadone.

Police found a bottle of methadone on the suspect when he was arrested May 5 on a warrant for an unrelated theft of drugs.

Mr. Regan, a career visual designer and interior designer, was born in Detroit and won several artistic awards in high school, said his sister, Janie Carmack.

He worked at the former J.L. Hudson's department store in Detroit and came to Toledo to work at Jacobson's department store as a display director.

At the time of his death, he was the display director at Art Van Furniture in Dearborn, Mich. He had several side jobs in interior decorating for businesses and homes in Michigan, Ohio, and Florida, Ms. Carmack said.