08/28/2025
What a powerful story of courage from both the survivor and her son. In moments of domestic violence, it’s not always easy to know the right steps to take, but we are grateful that he had a second chance to reach out to law enforcement for help.
Thank you, 47th District Attorney's Office and all the agencies involved.
On 10/10/2023, 911 began receiving repeated phone calls from a cell phone number. No one was speaking on the phone directly, but dispatchers could hear a woman crying and a man yelling and screaming at her. The Amarillo Police Department was able to determine the phone number was linked to defendant Randall Bivins, but when they called him, he said everything was fine and the 911 call must have been accidental. APD officers attempted to locate the defendant and his wife but were unable to do so. Several hours later, the victim’s son called 911 reporting that the defendant had dropped his mom off and she had multiple visible injuries. APD responded and the victim reported that the defendant had choked her, hit her, and held her captive in their vehicle for hours before dropping her off. She also told police that this was not the first time he’d been physically abusive, though she had never before reported the assaults.
In August 2025, a jury in the 320th District Court heard the cases against Mr. Bivins for domestic violence strangulation and kidnapping. Over five days, they listened to testimony from the victim, her son, Amarillo Police Department officers, and other professionals involved in investigating the case. The jury convicted the defendant on both cases and then heard evidence at punishment, including documents showing the defendant’s prior felony convictions. The jury returned a verdict of 35 years TDC on each case, and Judge Denny sentenced the defendant accordingly. By law, the sentences will run concurrently because they stem from the same criminal incident.
The District Attorney’s Office wants to thank the victim for her bravery and willingness to testify. District Attorney Jason Herring said, “An abusive partner often relies on their belief that the victim will not report or cooperate with law enforcement. We are grateful the victim was willing to speak out about what happened so that we could seek justice against her abuser.” The District Attorney’s office also wants to thank the Domestic Violence Unit at the Amarillo Police Department, the victim coordinator, and our community partners like Family Support Services. Through coordinated efforts, it is our belief that we can help reduce the violence happening in our community.
