Suspect in Philly social worker’s death confesses, police say

Philadelphia police believe they have solved the early morning murder of a social worker near Temple University.

Randolph Sanders, 36, killed his supervisor, Kim Jones, in an “assassination-style” murder Jan. 13 near Temple University, officers said Monday.

Capt. James Clark said Sanders worried Jones was going to report him for stealing from the nonprofit where the two worked, so he killed her. 

“He waited for her to come out of the house, laid in wait, and then he ambushed her and killed her with a single gun shot to the back of the head,” Clark said.

Clark said after reviewing hundreds of hours of surveillance video, police tracked the suspect through the Temple campus, onto the subway and into his vehicle, a 2007 silver GMC Yukon.

“Detectives’ big break in the case came when they realized that the suspect … a co-worker of Mrs. Jones’ drove the same type of vehicle,” he said. “Mr. Sanders was brought into the homicide unit Saturday for questioning and gave a full confession.”

Clark said police worked around the clock to crack the case. He said Jones, 56,  planned to report Sanders’ theft to the Department of Human Services, the agency that funds the nonprofit.

Police believe Randolph stole about $40,000 from the nonprofit, Turning Points for Children.

In a written statement, the nonprofit’s CEO Michael Vogel said he was shocked and saddened by the crime.

“We understand from the police report that Mr. Sanders misappropriated funds. We believe that this is an isolated incident,” he said. 

That said, added Vogel, “We are working to engage a third-party investigator to ensure that this is the case.”

The Department of Human Services declined to comment for this story.