Family of Iowa missionary murdered in Jamaica says justice finally served

ANKENY, Iowa (KCCI) - The family of an Iowa missionary murdered in Jamaica nearly seven years ago said justice is finally served.

Randy Hentzel, from Ankeny, was with another missionary, Harold Nichols, when they were killed in 2016. Prosecutors charged two men in their deaths shortly after.

Last week, one of the men charged pleaded guilty.

Randy’s widow and her five children were in the courtroom for the trial. The family said their questions about what happened were finally answered, and they now have closure.

“It’s really brought a lot of relief which I wasn’t expecting,” said Sara Hentzel, the widow of Randy Hentzel.

One of the men who pleaded guilty confessed that Hentzel and Nichols were in the wrong place at the wrong time during gang retaliation.

“To just hear it in his own words laid out was surprising and very helpful,” said Sara Hentzel.

The man who pleaded guilty received a life sentence. He will be eligible for parole in 28 years.

The other man’s trial is delayed, possibly until 2026.

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