Well-known barber killed at MS Coast casino remembered. Family shares pain, appreciation
Law enforcement, families of crime victims and members of the public came together Tuesday in an annual tradition remembering the lives of people who were victims of crime.
The District Attorney’s office of Harrison, Hancock and Stone counties hosted the candlelight service at First Baptist Church of Gulfport in honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, a week dedicated to recognizing crime victims’ experiences as well as advocating for the rights of victims.
“Every year we celebrate crime victims week and it’s an opportunity for us to come together as a community and help remember the loved ones that were lost,” said District Attorney Crosby Parker. “At the same time it allows our law enforcement community to come together to remember why we do this job.”
One of the victims honored, Randy Johnson, was a father and well-known barber in the Gulfport community. His family was in attendance, where attendees lit candles around a photograph of him in his honor.
Randy Johnson, 41, was killed on Sept. 18, 2021 at the Golden Nugget Casino in Biloxi when Jereme Lamond Jones, a former University of South Alabama wide receiver and one-time NFL Draft prospect, chased Johnson through a crowd at the casino and shot him multiple times. Jones was sentenced to life in prison for the crime in 2023.
“It means so much to us today because it’s keeping hope alive that he will never be forgotten, keeping his spirit alive and reminding me that there is someone out there that cares,” said Mary George, Johnson’s aunt. “We are so appreciative of the people that did this today for us and other people that have been in the same situation. We love him, we love everyone who has been through this situation and we’re praying for them.”
George described Johnson as a sweetheart with a “beautiful smile”. She said he is dearly missed by his brother, mother, sister, kids and grandchildren.
During the ceremony, two law enforcement officers were presented with the Crime Victim Law Enforcement Award for “unparalleled dedication in assisting victims of a crime.” Detective Sergeant Christopher J. Kloc with the Gulfport Police Department and Detective Sergeant Brad Gross with the Long Beach Police Department received the award for their work on the murder case of Ashley Barbara.
On Jan. 9, 2020, Robert John Oshinski, 39, of Long Beach beat his wife, Ashley Barbara, to death in front of their three children inside the camper they shared. Oshinski was eventually sentenced to life in prison.
Ian Baker, an assistant district attorney and deacon at First Baptist Church of Gulfport, who presented the awards, described listening to Oshinski and Barbara’s daughter, who was present during the murder, talk about what she witnessed and the abuse she suffered.
“I was overcome with emotion. I did the only thing I thought was appropriate. I went to the bathroom in our office and I cried,” Baker said in a speech.
According to Baker, Oshinski and Barbara’s daughter is now an athlete, excelling at shotput at the junior high level.
“She is just one of the strongest, people, not kids, I have ever met. To endure what she endured and have the attitude, a can do attitude, is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and she reminds me that light exists even in darkness. And I thank these officers as being as she describes her savior and her hero,” said Baker.
Another crime victim’s photo sat alongside Randy Johnson’s during the ceremony. The photo is of Shantel Dedeaux, who was killed in a murder-suicide by her husband Charles Dedeaux Jr. in 2003. There was never prosecution in Dedeaux’s case, and Dedeaux is honored at the event every year.
According to Franchelle Daniels, who organizes the event, the annual candlelight service has been held for over 25 years.
