The Disappearance of Jimmy Farenthold Part 2: The Death of Randy

The Disappearance of Jimmy Farenthold Part 2: The Death of Randy

Author: TTC Productions September 18, 2025 Duration: 25:33
On June 6, 1972, the Gulf of Mexico gave back one of its secrets. The body of Randolph “Randy” Farenthold, 32 years old, oil money in his veins, and gambling smoke in his lungs, washed ashore on Mustang Island. His hands were bound, his body chained, his skull fractured. The brutal murder of the South Texas “sportsman” triggered one of the most intensive investigations in Nueces County history, pulling in local lawmen, Texas Rangers, and even the FBI.

But this was no simple killing. Randy had been scheduled to testify in a federal fraud case against men tied to shady financial schemes, leaving investigators to question whether his death was a mob-style hit meant to silence him. His movements in the final hours were traced from Corpus Christi’s nightlife to the waters he loved, yet every lead pointed to a tangle of gambling debts, betrayals, and organized crime connections.

Though suspects were named and one man, Bruce Lusk Bass III, eventually indicted and convicted, Randy’s murder remains clouded by unanswered questions. His violent end became one more curse in a dynasty already fractured by addiction, politics, and loss.

Randy’s death was only the beginning. Seventeen years later, the family would face another devastating silence—the disappearance of his younger brother, James Robert “Jimmy” Farenthold.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Jimmy Farenthold, please contact the San Antonio Police Department at (210) 207-8939.

Sources: The Corpus Christi Caller-Times, The Port Aransas South Jetty, The Houston Chronicle, The San Antonio Express-News, Texas Monthly, Texas Observer, texashistory.unt.edu, The Los Angeles Times

You can support gone cold and listen to the show ad-free at https://patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast

Find us at https://www.gonecold.com

For Gone Cold merch, visit https://gonecold.dashery.com

Follow gone cold on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, and X. Search @gonecoldpodcast at all or just click https://linknbio.com/gonecoldpodcast

#WhereIsJimmyFarenthold #CorpusChristi #CCTX #TX #Texas #TrueCrime #TexasTrueCrime #ColdCase #TrueCrimePodcast #Podcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #UnsolvedMysteries #Homicide #CrimeStories #PodcastRecommendations #CrimeJunkie #MysteryPodcast #TrueCrimeObsessed #CrimeDocs #InvestigationDiscovery #PodcastAddict #TrueCrimeFan #CriminalJustice #ForensicFiles

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gone-cold-texas-true-crime--3203003/support.

The stories that haunt a community often linger long after the headlines fade, waiting for someone to listen. Gone Cold-Texas True Crime is a podcast dedicated to those unresolved narratives, focusing specifically on the vast and complex landscape of Texas. Each episode delves into a different mystery, from long-unsolved homicides and disappearances that have left families searching for decades to other enigmatic cases that have stubbornly resisted explanation. The sheer size and diverse history of Texas provide a unique backdrop for these investigations, where details can be as sprawling as the state itself. Produced by TTC Productions, this series approaches each case with a focus on the facts and the human stories at their core, avoiding sensationalism in favor of thoughtful examination. When you listen, you’ll hear a detailed recounting of events, often including what is known about the individuals involved and the investigative paths that were followed, all while considering the questions that remain unanswered. This podcast serves as an audio record for cases that deserve renewed attention, exploring the lingering impact on communities and the hope that new information might still emerge. It’s for those drawn to the intricacies of real-life mysteries and the understanding that some of the most compelling stories are those without an ending.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Gone Cold - Texas True Crime
Podcast Episodes
The Disappearance of Jimmy Farenthold Part 3: Running Out of Road [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:45
Most disappearances leave echoes—missing persons flyers, TV reports, police pleas for tips. But when James Robert “Jimmy” Farenthold vanished in the spring of 1989, there was only silence. No bulletin. No headlines. No p…
The Disappearance of Jimmy Farenthold Part 1: Oil, Power, and Secrets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:34
Texas dynasties are remembered for oil, ranching, and politics. Their names are carved into courthouses and campuses—but behind the polished legacy of the Farenthold family lies a darker story. In this first part of our…
The Murder of Sheila Renae Finch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:49
In October of 1989, ten-year-old Sheila Renae Finch left her grandmother’s home in South Waco, Texas, for what should have been a quick trip. She rode her pink-and-white bicycle to a corner grocery store to use the payph…
The Disappearance of Maegan Hembree [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:41
On a cold night in February 2013, 30-year-old Maegan Hembree left her home in Smyer, Texas, and set out for Lubbock. She never arrived. Days later, her red Saturn turned up at a Lubbock apartment complex — but Maegan was…
The Abduction and Murder of Bradley Eugene Gilbert [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:19
On November 10, 1984, six-year-old Bradley Eugene Gilbert was playing outside his aunt’s home in Chillicothe, Texas, with his three-year-old brother Jason. By early afternoon, Jason came running back to the house crying.…
No Justice, No Peace: The Murder of Travoski Johnson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:00
In February 2001, 20-year-old Travoski Latraze Johnson vanished from Mount Enterprise, Texas. Two days later, his body was discovered in the trunk of his own car, parked on a desolate county road in rural Rusk County. Th…
Born in Violence: The Case of Neota Green [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:12
Born into a tumultuous marriage between Emory and Elva Moad in the midst of the Great Depression, Neota Green’s childhood was marked by physical and emotional abuse. The shocking violence that Elva endured at the hands o…
The Pretty Family Slayings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:00
One evening in May of 1978, Robert Pretty came home from work to a nearly silent house. Breakfast was still on the table, and all that could be heard was water dripping. As he looked for his family, he followed the drip.…
The Alleged Murder of Noel Angel Alvarez [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:30
In March of 2023, an investigation into the whereabouts of 6-year-old Noel Alvarez began. He’d already been missing for months. Noel had several siblings, but unlike them, he had special needs to attend to. His mother, C…
The Abduction & Murder of Patricia Kaye Humphreys [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:52
In Houston, Texas, the 1970s was a decade marred by violent crime. From high-risk adults to completely innocent children, the era saw little mercy. When 15-year-old Patricia “Pat” Humphreys, her sister Deb, and friends w…