An Idaho father who allegedly kidnapped his 10-month-old baby after murdering his wife was hospitalized just hours earlier after walking naked through a store.
Jeremy Albert Best, 48, was last seen just before midnight on Thursday evening and is said to be “heavily armed and dangerous”.
Police believe Best kidnapped his child, Zeke Gregory Best, after killing his wife, Kali Jean Randall, 38, at their home in Victor, Idaho.
A relative of Randall has since revealed that she was expecting her second child at the time of her death.
Footage obtained by East Idaho News shows Best walking naked through the Swan Valley General Store about 24 hours before the kidnapping.
Best can be seen in the video lounging over the counter next to the cash register with a cigarette in his mouth.
The best thing you can see in the video is him walking aimlessly naked through the store with a cigarette in his mouth
Kali Jean Randall was found lifeless in her home in the city of Idaho and her death is being investigated as a homicide
Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office deputies contacted the store and identified Best.
The outlet reported that Best was evaluated by emergency medical services crews outside the store and taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for mental health concerns.
It remains unclear what happened at the hospital, but a spokesman confirmed that Best was discharged Thursday afternoon.
Later that day, officers arrived at the family home to find Randall unresponsive and her death was being treated as a homicide.
In a statement, police said deputies were dispatched to respond to a disturbance the dispatcher heard over the line.
An Amber Alert was then issued for the couple’s child at 4:30 a.m. Friday morning. Police said Best was last seen driving a black 1995 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV with Idaho license plate 1T39349.
Best is described as a 5’11 male, weighing 245 pounds, with brown/gray hair and green eyes. His son Zeke is described as being 1’00” tall and weighing 20 pounds.
Police believe Best kidnapped his ten-month-old child, Zeke Gregory Best (seen here).
Best is described as a 5’11 male, weighing 245 pounds, with brown/gray hair and green eyes and is described as armed and dangerous
In a statement, police said deputies were dispatched to respond to a disturbance at the family’s home that the dispatcher heard over the line
They warned the public not to approach the “heavily armed” suspect and urged anyone with information about the suspect, vehicle or child at risk to call 208-354-2323 or 911 immediately.
Meg Fischer, Randall’s cousin, told East Idaho News, “She was a beautiful and free spirit.”
“She was called to the mountains and settled there.” She loved animals, especially her dogs.
“Motherhood was her greatest joy and we assume that she gave her life to protect her children. “We love her infinitely.”
Fischer also said she was “shocked to announce that Kali was expecting her second child.”
A statement from the family said: “Following the devastating loss of our beloved Kali and her unborn baby, our family is overwhelmed with grief and heartache.”
“Our hearts are aching and our sole focus is on the safe return of baby Zeke.”
“In the midst of every family’s worst nightmare, we humbly request privacy as we focus our energies on the safe return of Kali’s beloved son, Zeke.”
According to Randell’s social media, Zeke was born in late January and was expecting her second child
Best owns a local mechanic shop in Victor, Idaho, called Jeremy’s Auto, and has been a mechanic for 20 years.
His company website says, “Meet Jeremy Best, your local mechanic and new best friend.”
Jeremy said that when he’s not fixing cars, he’s “enjoying the sun on his pleasure boat” or “driving back roads with his wife Kali and three dogs.”