Brooke Preston, 21, from Pennsylvania, was killed by her longtime friend Randy Hermann Jr. in Florida. She had returned to pack her belongings when Randy stabbed her, and he later claimed he was sleepwalking during the attack.
Brooke’s Early Life
Brooke Preston was born on September 1, 1995, in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania. She was the youngest of three daughters of Nancy and John Preston, with two older sisters, Jordan and Jessica.
From the very start, Brooke had a personality that stood out. She was full of energy, joy and imagination, a spark that seemed to light up any room she entered. She was bold and always ready to make life more fun.
Her mother gave her the nickname “Little Princess,” and Brooke insisted everyone use it. For nearly a full year, if someone tried to call her “Brooke,” she would ignore them. But say “Little Princess” and she answered immediately, often with a playful flair, as if she ruled the world.
That mix of stubbornness and love for attention perfectly described her personality. Brooke didn’t seek the spotlight in a mean way—she just naturally drew people to her with her charm and energy.
Brooke loved dressing up. She had a chest full of gowns, boas, high heels and tiaras, which she would dig through every chance she got. She could turn anything into a costume and loved making ordinary moments feel magical. She would twirl and dance in the living room, performing for her family and making family gatherings more exciting.
But Brooke wasn’t all glamour. She had a fearless side too. She climbed trees, jumped on trampolines and loved tumbling. Her energy seemed endless. She also loved painting, starting with charcoal and moving into more detailed artwork.
She had a talent for making simple things extraordinary, whether it was a drawing, a little dance or just spending time with friends.
From a young age, Brooke was independent and brave. She wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself, even with her sisters and she carried that determination into everything she did. Gymnastics, cheerleading or trying something new—Brooke attacked it all with full energy.
Florida Life
After graduating high school in 2013, Brooke moved to Florida to attend the State College of Florida in Sarasota. College life gave her new freedom and she thrived there. After completing her studies in the spring of 2016, Brooke briefly returned to Pennsylvania to be with her long-distance boyfriend, Brian.
But by July 2016, she decided it was time for a change and moved to West Palm Beach, Florida where her sister Jordan was already living.
Brooke’s move wasn’t just about starting fresh; it was also about family and support. Being close to her sister meant she could enjoy new experiences while having someone familiar around her.
In Florida, Brooke reunited with Randy, a longtime friend from Pennsylvania who had known her and her sister since middle school. Randy had been through a lot.
According to Oxygen, his father, Randy Sr., had been the prime suspect in the murder of his girlfriend, Gail Monahan but the case was never resolved because Randy Sr. later took his own life. He was found dead in a pickup truck in Alabama and the situation left Randy Jr. carrying heavy emotional baggage.
On top of that, Randy had legal troubles of his own, including DUIs and a drug possession charge. Brooke encouraged him to move down to Florida with her and her sister, offering him a chance at a fresh start.
The three of them initially lived in a condo for a month before renting a house together on Sarazen Drive. Life started off fun and exciting.
They spent days at the beach, nights playing games, boating trips and dinners together. Brooke loved it; it reminded her of the carefree, vibrant life she always loved. But as months passed, things began to shift.
They all started to find their own friend groups and their once tight-knit bond loosened. The household dynamic changed. While they still had dinners and occasional parties, they weren’t the inseparable trio they had been.
Brooke focused on her relationship with Brian, preparing to move to New York and start a new chapter, leaving Florida and her friends behind.
During this time, Brooke still kept in touch with Randy but his behavior was starting to be a real worry. He was drinking a lot, burning through the inheritance from his dad and couldn’t hold down a steady job.
Brooke’s patience and kindness really showed—she’d known him for years and kept trying to help him figure things out, even as he struggled.
Yet, even with Brooke’s caring nature, cracks began to form in their relationship.
The Trip That Changed Everything
Brooke returned to Florida in March 2017 for a short visit. She needed to collect the rest of her belongings and retrieve her car before driving it back to New York.
The trip started normally. Brooke flew into West Palm Beach Airport, was picked up by friends and enjoyed breakfast and dinner with Randy and others. It was supposed to be a brief, ordinary trip—just a stop to tie up loose ends before starting her new life.
However, things took a dark turn that night. Randy became belligerent and exhibited disturbing behavior. Brooke, feeling unsafe, decided not to sleep at the house and went to stay with her friend Kyle instead. She confided in him about Randy hiding naked in her closet, a frightening incident that left her shaken.
This night was a critical warning sign but Brooke, ever kind and forgiving, still returned to the house the next morning to collect a memorial T-shirt Randy wanted her to pass to her boyfriend, Brian. Little did she know, this simple act of kindness would lead to the unthinkable.
The morning of March 25th began like any other day. Brooke went out for breakfast with Kyle before returning to Randy’s house around 8:35 a.m. Surveillance footage confirms her arrival. Brooke even texted Randy, asking if he wanted to join them for breakfast but he declined.
The house seemed quiet, normal, and mundane. Yet, within the next 22 minutes, Brooke’s life would be brutally ended, shattering everyone who knew her.
As soon as Brooke returned to the house, Randy attacked her with a hunting knife, stabbing her more than 20 times. It was an incredibly violent act from someone she had trusted for years. The attack occurred in the hallway and involved a level of aggression that left no room for doubt about intent.
Afterward, Randy, covered in blood, changed clothes and drove to Haverhill Park, less than a mile away, to call 911. On the call, he confessed immediately: “Someone’s been murdered. Just send the police. It was me. I’m sorry.”
By 9:00 a.m., the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office was dispatched and Randy waited at the scene, his hands cut and bloodied, Newswatch 16 reports.
Police quickly arrived at the house, finding Brooke’s body on the floor, covered with a blanket. The scene was horrific and officers were faced with understanding not just the brutality but the motive behind the attack.
Randy’s initial interrogation was chaotic. He mumbled and often said he didn’t remember what happened.
Trial and Sleepwalking Defense
As detectives pressed him for details, Randy gave conflicting accounts. He claimed he had been in bed when Brooke returned, then admitted to interacting with her in his room to hand her the T-shirt.
Investigators pieced together the timeline, showing only 22 minutes between Brooke’s arrival and Randy leaving in her car which made sleepwalking highly unlikely.
Randy’s story of memory gaps didn’t align with the evidence. Investigators had to navigate his mumbling, denials and partial recollections to determine exactly what had happened.
Officers questioned Randy repeatedly about his relationship with Brooke, whether there had been any arguments and his actions the night before. He insisted there was no romantic involvement and claimed no argument occurred.
Despite his confession on the 911 call, Randy seemed unaware of the details during questioning, frustrating the officers who needed a clear account to understand motive and sequence of events.
Randy’s trial began on April 30th, 2019. Shockingly, he pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming he was sleepwalking during the attack. His lawyers argued that childhood sleepwalking and lack of motive supported this claim.
Randy even testified himself, saying he remembered Brooke coming into his room, hugging him goodbye and getting the T-shirt—but nothing after until he was standing over her body.
“The next thing (I know), I’m standing over top of her and I have a knife in my hand, covered in blood,” Herman said. “I was confused. Scared. Didn’t know what to do. Didn’t know what happened,” per The Ledger.
The defense presented research, including Dr. Alexander Bonkalo’s 1974 study on sleepwalking and violent behavior. Randy’s history of childhood sleepwalking, the absence of a motive and lack of cleanup were used to support the claim.
However, this defense had never been used successfully for murder in Florida, making it a risky strategy.
The prosecution didn’t buy the sleepwalking defense at all. The attack was super violent, the stabbing was really precise and it all happened in just 22 minutes which showed Randy knew exactly what he was doing. Experts, like forensic psychiatrists, said there’s no way he could have done something like that while asleep.
Brooke’s sister, Jordan, testified that she had never witnessed Randy sleepwalking. The prosecution emphasized Randy’s disturbing behavior the night before, suggesting potential sexual motives. The evidence painted a clear picture of deliberate, premeditated murder.
“This is skin, this is bone, this is muscle (he’s stabbing.) You’re not going to sleepwalk though that,” Assistant State Attorney Reid Scott said. “This is not picking up a (box) of Bisquick or grabbing a drink of water. You don’t sleepwalk through that.”
After nine days of trial, the jury deliberated for five hours and found Randy guilty of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison. Even though the trial gave some justice, Brooke’s family was still heartbroken.
Losing her left a huge hole in their lives, and the trial just made it worse knowing someone they trusted had done this.
After being found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, Randy Hermann Jr. filed an appeal in April 2021. In the appeal, his legal team argued that there were errors during the trial.
The appeal was reviewed and ultimately denied, meaning the conviction and life sentence remained in place. Randy is still serving life in prison.
