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Arthur Smothers

Case from Johnstown, PA dated Jun 15, 1980

Victim Details

Arthur Smothers

Female

Black / African American

Johnstown

PA

1980-06-15

22

Arthur

Smothers

06/21/2026

Case Description

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Arthur Dale Smothers, a 22-year-old African American man, was tragically killed on June 15, 1980, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He and his 16-year-old white girlfriend, Kathleen Mikula, were shot by Joseph Paul Franklin, a white supremacist, as they walked across the Washington Street Bridge in downtown Johnstown. Franklin, who was responsible for a series of racially motivated killings across the country, later confessed to the murders in 1998.

The case drew significant attention due to Fr ...
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Links to Additional Sources (7)

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  • Joseph Paul Franklin - Wikipedia
  • Detective describes chilling confession from man on death row
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    Forum Posts (2)

    I've been following the Arthur Smothers case and one thing that really stands out to me is how this ... ...Read More
    04/12/2024
    Has anyone else been looking into how the community of Johnstown reacted at the time of Arthur Smoth... ...Read More
    07/17/2023
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