For the people who loved Erica Brown, a murder conviction didn’t end the search.
The 36-year-old disappeared from her home in Fairfield, California, in August 2023. Her live-in boyfriend, Mark Anthony Randle Jr., was later convicted of killing her and sentenced to 25 years to life, but Erica’s remains have never been recovered.
Her childhood best friend, Nisha Criff, told CBS Sacramento that finding Erica has remained a priority even after the criminal case moved through trial and appeal.
“You have to take it day by day knowing it’s a possibility we will never be able to find her, to bring her to rest,” Criff said. “We wouldn’t want her to think for one moment we’ve ever forgotten her.”
Erica was last seen at her Fairfield home on August 20, 2023, and was reported missing five days later. Police soon described the circumstances as suspicious, and by the end of August, investigators said the evidence led them to believe she had been killed.
Randle disappeared while police were looking for him and was arrested in the Sacramento area the following month. The case against him would ultimately depend on what investigators recovered from Erica’s home. There were two vehicles, digital records, and people who said they knew what happened after she returned home that evening.
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What Happened After Erica Came Home
Evidence presented at Randle’s trial allowed prosecutors to reconstruct portions of Erica’s final night even though her remains had never been recovered.
According to a later California Court of Appeal opinion, home surveillance footage showed Erica arriving at approximately 6:45 p.m. on August 20. Randle was already inside. Prosecutors argued that he confronted Erica about suspected infidelity and killed her that night.
Jan Agacinski, a woman Randle was also seeing, testified that she visited the house twice. She said Erica was injured during her first visit and that Randle admitted hurting her during an argument. When Agacinski returned later, she testified that Erica was dead.
Prosecutors said surveillance footage showed Randle and Agacinski preparing a Chevrolet Malibu to transport Erica’s body. When investigators later recovered the burned vehicle in Richmond, they found Erica’s blood and DNA inside.
Another vehicle connected to Randle, a black Mercedes found abandoned in Vallejo, contained his fingerprints and three used gas cans, reports CBS Sacramento. Blood was also recovered from the Fairfield home.
A separate witness testified that Randle admitted Erica was dead and said Agacinski had helped him dispose of her body. Agacinski testified under an agreement that dismissed an accessory charge against her in exchange for truthful testimony.
Meanwhile, Randle’s defense presented another explanation, arguing that Erica died from a fentanyl overdose and that he panicked and concealed her body. Prosecutors disputed that account and presented DNA, surveillance footage, cellular records, license plate reader data, and witness testimony to argue that Erica had been murdered.
Jurors convicted Randle of first-degree murder on July 25, 2024, despite prosecutors having no body, autopsy, or formally established cause of death. He was sentenced that December to 25 years to life.
The Erica Her Friends Knew
The criminal case revealed details about Erica’s relationship that her friends said they didn't know while she was alive.
Criff had known her since the third grade. She remembered ordinary moments rather than court exhibits, like sitting together on the couch, talking on the phone, and laughing.
“She was always smiling, the life of the party,” Criff told CBS Sacramento. “She was just a sweet spirit, a sweet person to be around, and you’re blessed to have her in your life.”
Friends also described Erica as a hardworking mother devoted to her daughter, whom Criff called Erica’s “twin.” Her employer testified that Erica was doing well professionally and had been considered for a promotion.
Megan Armstrong, another friend, added that the conviction brought accountability but did not end their search.
“At the end of the day we are still on a mission to find her,” she said.
That mission continued while Randle challenged his conviction. On July 21, 2026, the California Court of Appeal rejected his arguments and affirmed the judgment against him. The legal question of who killed Erica has been answered by a jury and upheld on appeal. The question her friends have carried since 2023 has not.
Anyone with information that could help locate Erica Brown’s remains can contact the Fairfield Police Department Investigations Unit at 707-428-7600.
Please share Erica Brown’s story as those who love her continue trying to bring her home. She is our sister, and her life matters.
Case Number:
Agency: Fairfield Police Department Investigations Unit
Phone: 707-428-7600
Email:
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