An Idaho father accused of killing his pregnant wife before making off with their baby has appeared blank-faced his mugshot – as relatives of the alleged victims speak out about their ‘unimaginable’ pain.
Mechanic Jeremy Albert Best, 48, looked dazed and disheveled amid a mane of wild hair and a gray beard in the booking photo, taken one day after he was found naked in a forest near the body of his dead 10-month-old son.
Police believe Best killed his wife Kali Jean Randall, 38, at their home in Victor, Idaho, on Thursday, before abducting their baby, Zeke Gregory Best.
Randall’s cousin, Meg Fischer, released a statement on behalf of her family thanking friends for their support amid horrific circumstances.
‘We thank all of you for walking with us during this time,’ Fischer said in a message sent to East Idaho News.
Idaho father Jeremy Albert Best, who is accused of killing his pregnant wife before making off with their baby has appeared blank-faced his mugshot released on Sunday
Best, 48, looked dazed and disheveled amid a mane of wild hair and a gray beard in the booking photo, taken one day after he was found naked in a forest near the body of his dead 10-month-old son
Police believe Best killed his wife Kali Jean Randall, 38, and abducted their baby, Zeke Gregory Best, at their home in Victor, Idaho on Thursday. (Pictured: Randall and Zeke)
Best was seen walking through a Swan Valley General store naked on Saturday
‘Our Zeke is now at rest with his loving mama and unborn sibling. The pain we feel is unimaginable and we thank everyone for their support.
‘You will never know how you have lifted our family up during this time. As this is an ongoing investigation, we ask for privacy as we take time to process and grieve.’
Fischer previously said she was ‘shattered’ to learn that Randall had also been expecting her second child at the time of her death.
Paying tribute to her cousin, Fischer said: ‘She was a beautiful and free spirit.
‘She was called to the mountains and made her home there. She was a lover of animals, especially her dogs.
‘Motherhood was her greatest joy and we assume she gave her life protecting her children. We love her endlessly.’
Footage obtained by East Idaho News shows Best roughly 24 hours before the kidnapping, walking through the Swan Valley General store naked.
Best can be seen in the video with a cigarette in his mouth as he slouches over the store’s counter next to the cash register.
Deputies with Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office responded to the store and identified Best.
He was evaluated by EMS teams outside the store and was taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center over mental health concerns.
Zeke Gregory Best was just 10 months old. He was found dead in a forest on Saturday morning
Kali Jean Randall was found unresponsive in her home in the Idaho town, and her death is being investigated as a homicide
An amber alert for Best was issued at 4:30am on Friday morning, with police warning he was ‘heavily armed’
It remains unclear what happened at the hospital, but a spokesperson confirmed that Best was discharged on Thursday afternoon.
Later that day, officers arrived at the family home in Victor to find Randall unresponsive, with her death being treated as homicide.
An amber alert for the couple’s child was issued at 4:30am on Friday morning, with police saying Best was last seen driving a Black 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV with an Idaho license plate 1T39349.
They warned the public not to approach the ‘heavily armed’ white 5’11” male suspect and asked anyone with information to come forward.
On Saturday morning, hunters discovered Best resting in a sleeping bag beside Kepps Crossing Road near the Dan Creek Road, east of Idaho Falls, and called police.
Bonneville County Sheriff deputies rushed to the scene and identified Best, placing him in a patrol car until medics arrived to treat him for any injuries.
His black Chevrolet was found down a nearby embankment off the roadway. Deputies combed the area and found Zeke’s body.
In a statement from the family, they said: ‘In the wake of the devastating loss of our beloved Kali and her unborn baby, our family is overwhelmed with grief and sorrow.
Zeke was born at the end of January – according to Randell’s social media
Best owns a local mechanic shop in Victor, Idaho, called Jeremy’s Auto, and has been a mechanic for 20 years
Police said Best was last seen driving a Black 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV, which they later located
An amber alert for the couple’s child was issued at 4:30am Friday morning
‘Our hearts ache, and our focus is entirely on the safe return of baby Zeke.
‘In the midst of every family’s worst nightmare, we humbly request privacy as we focus our energy on the safe return of Kali’s beloved son, Zeke.’
Best owns a local mechanic shop in Victor, Idaho, called Jeremy’s Auto, and has been a mechanic for 20 years.
On his business website it says: ‘Meet Jeremy Best, your local mechanic and new best friend’.
Jeremy said that when not repairing cars – he’s ‘soaking up the sun on his leisure boat’ or ‘cruising the backroads with his lady, Kali, and three dogs’.