Used car salesman confesses to killing 4 women after chloroforming victim

A Florida man has been apprehended over 17 months after he allegedly killed a woman using chloroform, followed by concealing her body at an undisclosed location.

Seventy-five-year-old Ronald Chester Racki is charged with second-degree murder in the case of 24-year-old Laikyn Marie West in Venice, authorities announced Friday during a press conference.

Authorities reported that West's roommate in Bradenton filed a missing person report in September 2024 after she had been absent for three days.

Detectives identified Racki as the last person to have been with West. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit accessed by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Racki and West communicated via phone at around 8am on September 13, 2024.

Racki confessed to authorities that he paid West for sexual activities. He collected her that day and they traveled to Venice to have lunch. There was, however, no trace found of him returning her afterward.

Investigators later discovered through West's diary that Racki had compensated her over $900 to apply chloroform during their intimate encounters.

While Racki claimed he "never actually used chloroform on her," he confessed to using the substance at his car dealership on Spur Street.

Detectives secured a warrant for Racki’s phone and reportedly unearthed unsettling imagery.

There were photographs showing a nude West, restrained using handcuffs and cable ties.

One of these images was captured around 10 p.m. on the day West vanished. Additionally, authorities reportedly found violent adult content.

In December 2024, weeks following the police inquiry into Racki regarding West's disappearance, he attempted suicide, according to officers.

While hospitalised, he reportedly confessed to a nurse, "I killed four women six weeks ago," though detectives have yet to uncover credible evidence supporting this statement.