A Florida man has been arrested on a second-degree murder charge after allegedly telling a hospital nurse he had killed four women while being treated following a suicide attempt, police said.
Venice police identified the suspect as 75-year-old Ronald Chester Racki and said he is accused of the 2024 disappearance and presumed death of 24-year-old Laikyn Marie West of Bradenton. West was reported missing in September 2024, and authorities allege new evidence links Racki to her suspected killing, although her body has not been found.
According to investigators, Racki was hospitalized in late December 2024 after what authorities described as a suicide attempt and was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital for treatment. Medical records later obtained by detectives included a nurse's note stating that Racki said he had "killed four women six weeks ago," police wrote in a probable cause affidavit, according to People.
Detectives said they have not uncovered evidence that supports the existence of additional victims beyond West, despite the alleged statement to the nurse. Investigators instead focused on digital and physical evidence they say ties Racki to West's disappearance on the night she was last seen alive.
Police said a search warrant on Racki's phone turned up photographs of West bound with restraints and lying naked, with metadata showing one image was taken the night of Sept. 13, 2024, when she went missing. Investigators also said they found online searches for violent and "snuff"-themed material on devices linked to Racki.
West's roommate reported her missing three days after she was last seen, prompting a joint investigation involving Venice and Bradenton authorities. Phone and digital records indicated Racki was the last person to have contact with West before her disappearance, police said.
During an earlier interview in December 2024, Racki told detectives he had picked West up in Bradenton, driven her to Venice for lunch, and planned to pay her for sexual favors, according to police summaries. He claimed he later dropped her off at a location in Bradenton, but officers said surveillance and license plate data did not support that account, Fox13 News reported.
Authorities also cited a journal entry in which West wrote that a man had paid her about 1,000 dollars to allow him to use chloroform during sex, which investigators said was consistent with Racki's alleged sexual interests. Racki admitted to having fantasies involving chloroform and restraints but denied killing or drugging West, according to police.
Venice Police Chief Andy Leisenring said the arrest followed months of coordinated investigative work and that detectives remain committed to seeking justice for West and answers for her family. Police have not released further details on what developments occurred between the hospital disclosure and Racki's arrest, as per the ABC3340.
