Used car salesman makes chilling revelation to nurse

A Florida man has been arrested more than 17 months after authorities say he killed a young woman using chloroform and disposed of her body in an unknown location.

Ronald Chester Racki, 75, faces a charge of second-degree murder in the death of 24-year-old Laikyn Marie West, police announced Friday during a press conference in Venice.

West was reported missing in September 2024 by her roommate in Bradenton after she had not been seen for three days. Investigators determined Racki was the last known person to see her alive. According to an arrest affidavit cited by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Racki and West spoke by phone around 8 a.m. on Sept. 13, 2024.

Racki told investigators he paid West for sexual encounters and picked her up that day before they went to Venice for lunch. Detectives said they found no evidence he ever dropped her off afterward. Journal entries attributed to West indicated Racki had previously paid her more than $900 to use chloroform during sex. Racki denied using the chemical on her, though he acknowledged keeping chloroform at his used-car dealership on Spur Street.

After obtaining a warrant for Racki’s phone, detectives reported finding images of West unclothed and restrained with handcuffs and cable ties, including a photo timestamped around 10 p.m. the day she disappeared. Investigators also noted the presence of violent pornography on the device.

Police said that in December 2024—weeks after Racki was interviewed about West’s disappearance—he attempted suicide. While hospitalized, he allegedly told a nurse, “I killed four women six weeks ago,” but detectives said they have found no evidence supporting that statement.

According to the affidavit, a vehicle detailer later told officers he had worked on one of Racki’s cars and noticed a suspicious stain on the rear floor along with an unusual odor.

Racki was arrested Friday morning and booked into the Sarasota County Jail, where he is being held without bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 20. Authorities said the search for West’s body is ongoing.

“After months of careful and coordinated investigative work, the evidence developed in this case supports this arrest and charge,” said Andy Leisenring, chief of the Venice Police Department. “We remain committed to seeking justice for Laikyn West and to bringing answers to her family.”