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Man stabs suburban West Palm Beach woman to death but can't recall incident

Posted at 7:27 PM, Mar 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-28 04:41:07-04

Brooke Preston, 21, was found stabbed to death in a suburban West Palm Beach home on Saturday.

Around 9 p.m., a 911 call came in from Randy Herman.

“Someone’s been murdered,” Herman tells the 911 operator.

When asked what he saw he responded: “Just send the police it was me, I’m sorry.”

Officers arrived a 813 Sarazen Dr. and arrested Herman, who was covered in blood and had a cut on his hand.

Inside the house detectives found Preston on the floor with multiple stab wounds.

Neighbors in the area want answers.

“Why would a roommate have to kill the girl?” Liz Roik, a neighbor, asked.

Herman used to live with Preston, but neighbors said they were just friends.

According to Herman’s testimony to police, Preston had recently moved out and came back on Saturday to get some of her things.

Herman told detectives she hugged him and told him goodbye. The next thing he remembers is seeing blood. He said he was the only person in the house with Preston so he “must have done it.”

Preston’s family, who was in court for Herman’s first arraignment Sunday, did not want to say anything.
Her colleague, Duraine Gayle, said the 21-year old will be missed.

“She was just so loved by everyone,” Gayle said. “She made friends with everybody here. Brooke, I miss you and I love you and I just cannot believe it.”

Preston had worked with Gayle for the past few months at PSI in West Palm Beach.

Preston’s friend told PBSO she had spent part of Friday night with Herman but left because she did not feel comfortable staying with him. She said Herman acted weird and drunk.

Preston moved to South Florida from Pennsylvania, where she and Herman went to high school together.

According to a Pennsylvania news station, Herman’s father, Randy Herman Sr., was accused of killing his girlfriend in 2015. He was found dead weeks later in Alabama after an apparent suicide.