Police in southwest Florida have arrested Ronald Chester Racki, a 75-year-old Venice resident, for the murder of 24-year-old Laikyn Marie West, who vanished more than a year ago. Detectives say Racki was the last person to see West alive.
West, who lived in Bradenton, disappeared on September 13, 2024. Three days later, after she missed a flight and never returned home, her housemate reported her missing to Bradenton police. According to the housemate, West left their home with someone driving a white sedan. She never came back.
The case quickly shifted from a missing person’s report to a homicide investigation as police gathered evidence. Understanding the situation hinged on the fact that West and Racki knew each other and had met in Venice that day. Investigators say multiple independent pieces of evidence lined up over time, giving them probable cause for the arrest. No single clue solved it—it was the bigger picture…