Florentina Frakes, a 56-year-old Romanian woman, was killed on May 16, 2025, in Spring, Texas. Deputies found her and her husband, 72-year-old Franklin Frakes, shot to death inside their home on Fitzwater Drive after a neighbor checked on them the following day. Investigators said both victims suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and a handgun was recovered at the scene.
Authorities identified the suspect as the couple's son, 39-year-old Benjamin Frakes.
Prosecutors later alleged that long-simmering tensions and a dispute over money preceded the violence; when Franklin refused a request for cash, Benjamin allegedly shot Florentina first. Franklin returned fire and wounded his son before being killed, according to statements summarized in court.
Benjamin Frakes fled after the shootings. Days later, deputies acting on a tip found him at the Dog House Poker Club off the Northwest Freeway, where he was detained and questioned before being booked on two counts of capital murder. At the time of his arrest, authorities also reported recovering controlled substances, and investigators later said Benjamin pawned his father's watch after the killings.
A judge set Benjamin's bond at $5 million, and he remains jailed awaiting trial. At his initial appearance, his court-appointed attorney indicated he would seek a mental health and competency evaluation. If convicted of capital murder in Texas, he faces either the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole.
