Andre Rand

Case identification

Andre Rand was born Andre Rashan in 1943. He later used the name “Rand” and employed various pseudonyms to cover his movements and criminal activities through the years.

Background

Andre Rand grew up in Ithaca, N.Y. He served in the Army during the early 1960s and worked as an attendant at Willowbrook from 1966 to 1968. Between 1966 and 1968, he worked as a physical therapy aide at New York’s Willowbrook State School, later renamed the Staten Island Development Center.

People in the neighborhood described him as friendly, articulate and well read. They described him as not the retarded, drooler he feigned to be when questioned by police.

The record also described Rand as a drifter and sex offender, and said he lived in roominghouses, shelters and makeshift campsites on the Willowbrook grounds.

Other details

Rand had odd jobs, including his own sign-painting business on Staten Island. He lived in roominghouses, shelters and makeshift campsites on the Willowbrook grounds.

The offence

Kidnapping and sexual offences involving children

On May 5, 1969, Rand was arrested in the South Bronx for kidnapping and attempting to rape a nine-year-old girl. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of sexual abuse.

In 1981, Rand offered a 9-year-old girl a lollipop and tried to entice her to ride in his Volkswagen. When she refused his offer, he followed her to her home and searched for her while she hid under a rug. No charges were filed.

In January 1983, Rand collected eleven children from West Brighton, loaded them into a van, and drove them into Newark for about five hours without asking parental permission. They spent the day eating hamburgers and watching planes land at Newark airport. None of the children were harmed. He was arrested on charges of unlawful imprisonment, convicted in March and sentenced to ten months in jail.

Eight months after he was back on the street by August (in connection with the 1983 unlawful imprisonment case), he was listed as a suspect when ten-year-old Tiahese Jackson vanished on Staten Island.

No trace of three missing girls had been found by July 9, 1987, when 12-year-old Jennifer Schweiger disappeared from her home at Westerleigh.

Jennifer Schweiger was a victim of Downe’s syndrome. She was traced to the grounds of the deserted Staten Island Development Center, where Rand had been living for several years in a makeshift shelter of his own design. Witnesses reported seeing Rand with Jennifer on the day she disappeared.

On August 4 (in connection with Jennifer Schweiger’s disappearance), Rand was charged with her kidnapping and held without bail pending a psychiatric evaluation. Eight days later, Schweizer’s body was unearthed from a shallow grave within sight of Rand’s lean-to, and a charge of murder in the first degree was added to his file.

Authorities described Rand as meticulous and fastidious and said he took great pains to leave no clues behind.

Attempted rape and sexual abuse charge

In Rand’s first brush with the law, on May 25, 1969, he enticed a 9-year-old Bronx girl into his car and drove her to a vacant lot. He removed his clothes and hers, but a passing police car interrupted the crime. He was charged with attempted rape. He pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and was sentenced to four years. He served 16 months.

Investigation

Rand’s name was linked with disappearances of several children.

In 1972, officers were short on solid evidence required for an indictment after five-year-old Alice Pereira vanished from a flat in 1972 in a South Beach, Staten Island apartment house where Rand was working as a painter.

In July 1981, Rand was hauled in for questioning in the disappearance of seven-year-old Holly Hughes, from Port Richmond, and was released for lack of evidence.

In connection with Jennifer Schweiger’s case, witnesses reported seeing Rand with Jennifer on the day she disappeared. After some preliminary questions, he was charged with her kidnapping on August 4 and held without bail pending a psychiatric evaluation.

In connection with the later trial for the kidnapping of Holly Ann Hughes, prosecutors and detectives reinterviewed witnesses from two decades ago, some under hypnosis. They said they had pieced together key evidence that eluded them in 1981 when Holly was last seen at a local deli buying a bar of soap on the night of July 15. Police said witnesses saw Rand’s green Volkswagen circling the area on that night. Although he was questioned by police and his car was searched at the time, he was not arrested or charged.

Arrest

In January 1983, after he drove eleven children into Newark and the children spent about five hours at Newark Airport, Rand was arrested on charges of unlawful imprisonment.

Rand’s kidnapping charge in connection with Jennifer Schweiger was filed on August 4, after preliminary questions following her disappearance.

Trial

Conviction for kidnapping involving Jennifer Schweiger

Rand was convicted of kidnapping in 1989. He was sentenced to 25 years to life.

During the proceedings, he was also charged with Schweiger’s murder, but jurors deadlocked on that charge.

Proceedings relating to Holly Ann Hughes

New trial proceedings were described as scheduled to begin in a Staten Island courtroom, where Rand would stand trial for the kidnapping of Holly Ann Hughes. The record identified Holly as having disappeared 20 years earlier when she was 7.

The record said at least 10 people were expected to testify about seeing Rand with or near the outgoing and smiling girl who lived with her mother at the time.

The record said officers and inmates from Auburn Correctional Facility were expected to testify that they heard Rand tell fellow inmates:

“Kids entice me”
and to compare himself to Ted Bundy, and ask another inmate who was looking at a pornographic book: “How could I get a book like that with kids?”

In court papers, Rand’s lawyer, Duane Felton, dismissed Rand’s comments as:

“vague utterances more in the nature of pretentious prison boasting.”

Assistant District Attorney Mario Mattei, the lead prosecutor in the Holly Ann Hughes case, said:

“He's a pedophile who abducts young girls to have sex with them.”

Mattei also said:

“When you look at Rand's past, and there is a fresh case to be made against him, I couldn't imagine letting him get away with what we believe he did to this innocent little girl, Holly Ann Hughes. We think he should be accountable.”

Rand’s remarks during a prison conversation

Rand made statements in conversation with inmates:

“You know me and [Ted] Bundy are alike in many ways. We both used Volkswagens. Bundy's thing was women. My thing is kids. . . . Do you think the police could figure that out?”

Sentencing

Rand pleaded guilty to sexual abuse after his 1969 arrest and was sentenced to four years. He served 16 months.

In March (in connection with the unlawful imprisonment case), he was sentenced to ten months in jail.

Rand was sentenced to 25 years to life for kidnapping 12-year-old Jennifer Schweiger. The record also stated that if Rand was not convicted in the Hughes case, he would be eligible for parole on July 30, 2012, for the Schweiger kidnapping.

Appeals

No appeals outcome was provided in the record.

Outcome

Rand was convicted of kidnapping in 1989 and was serving 25 years to life.

The record stated that jurors deadlocked on the murder charge involving Schweiger, and therefore the murder charge did not result in a conviction based on the information given.

Aftermath

The record described a community response connected to Jennifer Schweiger’s disappearance. Donna Cutugno, president of Friends of Jennifer for Missing Children, a volunteer group that began the community search for Schweiger and still searched Willowbrook’s 385 acres twice a year, said:

“I call him the Hannibal Lecter of Staten Island,”
and: “He terrified a whole community. He still haunts us.”

Holly Ann Hughes’s father, Peter Hughes, a retired dockworker, said:

“There is not a day that goes by . . . ”
and: “She was just a beautiful little child.”

He also said:

“It's upsetting to go through again, but it was a good thing to happen. Andre Rand is an evil, evil person. I don't think he will ever say where her remains are so we will never be able to put my daughter to rest. But hopefully he will be convicted and put in jail for the rest of his life. The best we can hope for is that he will die in there.”

He added:

“Let me know what you did with her!”

People and victim details

Victims mentioned

• A nine-year-old girl (May 5, 1969) — kidnapping and attempted rape; Rand pleaded guilty to sexual abuse.
• Alice Pereira, five-year-old — vanished in 1972; Rand was working as a painter at the time; officers were short on solid evidence required for an indictment.
• Holly Ann Hughes, seven-year-old — disappearance questioned in July 1981; later said to be last seen buying a bar of soap on the night of July 15.
• Holly Ann Hughes (later trial reference) — trial was scheduled for kidnapping; described as disappearing when she was 7.
• Tiahese Jackson, ten-year-old — vanished on Staten Island; Rand was listed as a suspect when she disappeared.
• Jennifer Schweiger, 12-year-old — disappeared from Westerleigh; victim of Downe’s syndrome; traced to the grounds of the deserted Staten Island Development Center; Rand was charged with kidnapping on August 4.
• Shin Lee — linked to the record as involving the rape and murder of Shin Lee, with Shin Lee described as a Willowbrook aide.
• Ethel Atwell — linked to disappearance and mentioned alongside Shin Lee.

Other named individuals

• Donna Cutugno — president of Friends of Jennifer for Missing Children.
• Peter Hughes — father of Holly Ann Hughes; retired dockworker.
• William Murphy — Staten Island District Attorney; said he found it important enough to take a deeper look at the cases and do another prosecution; he said:

• Duane Felton — Rand’s lawyer; said in a motion that Rand was “thoroughly investigated at the time” and that:

• Kenneth Lanning — retired FBI agent and national expert on missing and sexually exploited children; said:

• Mario Mattei — Staten Island Assistant District Attorney; lead prosecutor in the Holly Ann Hughes case.
• Ted Bundy — referenced as a comparison point in Rand’s prison conversation.
• Michael Newton — referenced in connection with “An Encyclopedia of Modern Serial Killers - Hunting Humans 'Hannibal Lecter of Staten Island' Sex fiend trial revisits '80s case.”
• Heidi Evans — referenced with “By Heidi Evans - NYDailyNews.com Sunday, September 8th 2002.”
• The record also referenced a jail interview in 1987 where Rand repeatedly lied to a reporter saying he had never met Jennifer Schweiger and changed his story at trial after his defense lawyer learned there were several witnesses who saw Rand with his bicycle leading the trusting little girl with Down syndrome by the hand away from her house toward the woods at Willowbrook.

“These people are typically loners and losers,”
and: “They prefer children to adults but lack the interpersonal skills to become a Little League coach, a teacher or a clergyman - people who easily befriend children. So they abduct young children because they are vulnerable and easy prey for them.” and: “Lanning said at least 95% are unmarried men who have few friends, and that even in this small population of child molesters who abduct children, only a tiny fraction of those will kill their victims.”
and: “These are the most vile and cruel of this sick population,”

“His photograph was shown to persons who had seen Holly Ann Hughes shortly before her disappearance and none of them have identified [him] as having been near or with the child on July 15, 1981.”

“There has always been a nagging thought about the other allegations about him and the other missing children,”
and: “I thought it was important enough to take a deeper look at these cases and do another prosecution.”

Timeline

• 1966–1968 — Andre Rand worked as a physical therapy aide at Willowbrook State School (later renamed the Staten Island Development Center).
• May 25, 1969 — Rand enticed a 9-year-old Bronx girl into his car; charged with attempted rape; pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and was sentenced to four years.
• May 5, 1969 — Rand was arrested in the South Bronx for kidnapping and attempting to rape a nine-year-old girl.
• January 1972 — Rand won parole.
• 1972 — Alice Pereira, five-year-old, vanished from a flat in a South Beach, Staten Island apartment house where Rand was working as a painter.
• July 1981 — Rand was hauled in for questioning in the disappearance of seven-year-old Holly Hughes; released for lack of evidence.
• July 15 — Holly Ann Hughes was last seen buying a bar of soap.
• January 9, 1983 — Rand collected eleven children from West Brighton, drove them into Newark, and after returning was charged with unlawful imprisonment.
• March (1983) — Rand was convicted of unlawful imprisonment and sentenced to ten months in jail.
• August (1983) — Rand was back on the street.
• Aug. 13, 1983 — Tiahese Jackson, 10, disappeared in Mariner’s Harbor after buying chicken wings at a store 2 miles north of Willowbrook.
• 1987 — Eight days after Rand was charged with Jennifer Schweiger’s kidnapping on August 4, her body was unearthed from a shallow grave.
• July 9, 1987 — 12-year-old Jennifer Schweiger disappeared from her home at Westerleigh.
• August 4 (1987) — Rand was charged with Jennifer Schweiger’s kidnapping and held without bail pending a psychiatric evaluation.
• 1987 — The record referenced a jailhouse interview with The News where Rand lied to a reporter about never meeting Jennifer Schweiger.
• 1989 — Rand was convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to 25 years to life.
• 2002 — A trial-related report referenced in the record described pretrial hearings and a scheduled trial for kidnapping Holly Ann Hughes.
• 1987–2002 — The record referenced that prosecutors and detectives reinterviewed witnesses from two decades ago in connection with the Holly Ann Hughes case.
• July 30, 2012 — Parole eligibility was described for the Schweiger kidnapping if Rand was not convicted in the Hughes case.

Miscellaneous captured descriptors

The record listed sex as “M,” race as “W,” and motive as “Sex,” with a stated modus operandi described as “Pedophile slayer of young girls,” and it listed:

• “DISPOSITION: Convicted of kidnapping, 1989.”