Founder of anti-domestic violence nonprofit arrested on domestic violence charges

HENDERSON, Ky. (WFIE/Gray News) – The founder of a nonprofit in Kentucky that helps survivors of domestic violence was arrested Friday on charges relating to domestic violence.

Michael “Jay” Randolph, 55, is facing strangulation charges for an incident that he says involved his son.

Randolph is the co-founder of the nonprofit The Chloe Randolph Organization.

He and his wife Kristie Randolph opened the nonprofit about a year after their daughter Chloe was murdered by her husband in 2019.

Jay Randolph spoke with WFIE and said he was arrested after a fight with one of his sons.

“The truth will come out about all of that in court,” he said. “This altercation was not with Kristie [my wife]. Kristie was not at home. Kristie actually knew nothing about it. This altercation was between me and one of my sons.”

While Jay Randolph awaits his day in court, he tells us he hopes his arrest will not harm his daughter’s legacy.

“Even now, it’s like people want to downplay domestic violence. Think about it, I just went to jail for domestic violence, that’s the charges,” he said.

Kristie Randolph also said the nonprofit’s mission will continue.

“It doesn’t end here. The mission and vision doesn’t end here,” Kristie Randolph said.

She continued, “We’re not going away because that means that her death was in vain. And everything we worked for, every victim that came after her, that came to us, to me when she was murdered that weekend, will have been for nothing.”

Kristie Randolph says her husband no longer had an active role in the organization.

Documents filed with the state show Jay Randolph officially stepped down as president less than 24 hours before his arrest.

Kristie Randolph said, however, his duties ended long before the filing, and it was an error that he was listed as being in a leadership position.

The nonprofit has worked to change Kentucky state law, helping the Chloe Randolph Act to increase protections for families of murder victims.

“The organization is still going to carry the role that it does. The death of her didn’t break me, and neither will this,” Kristie Randolph said.

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