In 2017, Brooke Preston, 21, was tragically stabbed by her roommate and childhood friend Randy Herman Jr. in their house in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Even Herman, who called the police and confessed to the murder soon after it was committed, acknowledges this. It’s doubtful that he killed his friend while sleepwalking and hung intoxicated, which was his implausible justification.
Hulu’s “Dead Asleep” movie digs deeper into Herman’s defense. Keep reading to find out what happened to Herman and more about Brooke Preston’s life and the crime she committed while sleepwalking.
What Happened to Brooke Preston?
Preston was born to John Edward Preston and Nancy Slabicki in Sayre, Pennsylvania on September 1, 1995. The real age of Brooke Preston was 21.
Her September 1 birthday was also a day she never missed celebrating. On March 25, 2017, Brooke’s residence in West Palm Beach, Florida was the scene of her murder. On her birthday, she always received an outpouring of love and support from her family and friends.
Preston was born on September 23, which made her a Virgo.
People born under the sign of Virgo tend to be modest, self-destructive, productive, and successful. However, behind the surface, they are typical Libras in that they are nice, helpful, and considerate.
This means that people will make judgments about her personality based on her star sign. She planned to major in business at Florida State University.
Brooke Preston was raised in Sayre, Pennsylvania. Her mother’s name was Nancy Slabicki, and her father’s name was John Edward Preston. Her sibling’s names were Jessica Kipp and Jordan Preston.
On Monday, Tom and Ben will discuss the Sleepwalk Murder case involving Randy Herman Jr.All parties agree that Brooke Preston was stabbed 25 times by her roommate Randy in 2017. Randy told the police about what happened, although he said he was sleepwalking at the time. pic.twitter.com/MlVDwFZbKE
I Could Kill a Podcast. — @CouldMurderAPod (@ICouldMurderAPod), June 4, 2022
A Killing by Brooke Preston By Companion Herman, Randy
Here is the plot of Herman’s story: The Miami New Times reports that Preston departed Florida with only a few personal possessions before relocating to New York with her partner.
She went to West Palm Beach to get her stuff and say her goodbyes to her friends. Given his two DUI arrests, Herman was expected to have a drinking problem, but instead he drank over 30 beers a day in celebration of her arrival.
Preston was annoyed by Herman’s drunkenness and decided to spend the night with another mutual friend.
When their friend died in a drunk driving accident, Herman helped Preston pack a shirt in his memory the next morning, despite being quite inebriated.
Herman stated he saw Preston leave Preston’s chamber as Preston slept following their farewell embrace. When he woke up the next morning, he said, he was holding a knife over Preston’s dead body.
The murderer of Brooke Preston presented a defense of sleepwalking.
Herman was found by police near a pavilion in Haverhill Park in Palm Beach, Florida, where the 911 call had originated.
Herman was found by first responders bleeding heavily from a wound between his thumb and index finger on his left hand.
After picking up Herman from the park, police went back to his and Preston’s home, where they discovered a bloody crime scene and the alleged murder weapon, which was later determined to be a “hunting-style knife.”
According to The Daily Beast, authorities said Herman injured his hand after slipping and cutting himself on the knife. Detectives who examined Preston’s wrapped body found signs of self-defense on her hand.
Herman’s defense team testified at trial that their client had committed the murder while sleepwalking. Sleepwalkers are extremely rare, yet homicide has been committed by at least one.
The Palm Beach Post states that there are criteria that must be completed before a homicide can be attributed to sleepwalking.
In the past, the perpetrator may have been sleepwalking, there may have been no clear motive, and the victim may have been very important to the perpetrator. In Herman’s case, most of these requirements are satisfied.
Sleepwalking Defence Refuted
According to the Miami New Times, Herman’s mother was the first to suggest that he may have been sleepwalking; she claimed he had frequent episodes and once even rode his bike to her place of work while asleep, despite the fact that he insisted he did not remember doing so.
According to the Palm Beach Post, a 12-person jury ruled against Herman’s sleepwalking account of the 2019 death. A friend discovered Herman cuddled up naked in Preston’s closet the night before.
Herman had a “crush” on Preston, he told The Daily Beast. The prosecution attempted to provide a motive for Preston’s murder by suggesting that it was spurred on by unfulfilled romantic love.
The prosecution was skeptical of the sleepwalking explanation as well. During his closing argument, Assistant State Attorney Reid Scott stated, “This is skin, this is bone, this is muscle (he’s stabbing).” “You won’t just sleepwalk through that,” she warned.
Herman, though, remains adamant that he does not recall Preston’s death. In a letter to the Miami New Times, he tried to make sense of the complicated feelings he’s having to deal with while serving a life sentence.
This man’s mental breakdown was due to “excessive stress, sadness, trauma, and alcohol,” he wrote. I apologize deeply. Since I didn’t set out to do this crime, my thoughts about receiving a life sentence are at odds with those of being given a second chance.
Randy Herman’s Sentence
A 12-person jury deliberated for almost five hours before finding Randy Herman Jr. guilty of first-degree murder and sentencing him to life in prison without parole.
His explanation that he had been sleepwalking at the time of the attack on Brooke Preston was debunked.
As the verdict was read, both Randy and Brooke’s families cried silently on opposite sides of the courtroom.
In 2019, a jury convicted Randy of first-degree murder in the death of Brooke and gave him a life sentence. His claim that he was sleepwalking was not accepted by the judge.To give you some context, Randy was raised by his older sister and their mother.
In Randy’s early years, his parents split up. Randy’s dad was an alcoholic and the prime suspect in the death of his girlfriend. It was then speculated that he had gone to Alabama before taking his own life.
The documentary by Randy Herman Jr. on Brooke Preston’s murder is titled Hulu Documentary on Brooke Preston’s Murder Dead Sleep. The release date, December 16, 2021, has been set.
The film’s cast and crew are, from left to right: Skye Borgman (director), Sandrine Magloire-Szlasa (producer), Skye Borgman (actress), Marisa Clifford (actress), Nelesh Dhand (actor), Poppy Dixon (actor), Sunshine Jackson (actress), Jack Oliver (film editor), and Darren Valdez (film editor).
Randy Herman: Where Are You Now?
In Florida, Randy Herman Jr. has been sentenced to life in prison. However, the specific address of his home was never revealed.
He has been behind bars since his first-degree murder conviction in May of this year.
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