In a tragic turn of events on November 22, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa, 16-year-old Amber Fraaken, a Caucasian female, and her mother, Amy Fraaken, 42, were found shot to death. The individual responsible for their deaths was Amber's father and Amy's husband, Barney Fraaken, who was 47 at the time.
Leading up to the fatal incident, the relationship between Amy and Barney Fraaken had become strained.
Amy had discovered her husband's infidelity and was herself involved in an online relationship. She had asked Barney to move out of their home and intended to file for divorce. The morning of the shooting, a fearful Amy confided in her mother, expressing her intention to seek help the following Monday. That evening, Barney Fraaken used a 9-millimeter handgun to shoot his wife in their master bedroom, killing her with a single bullet to the heart. He then proceeded to shoot their daughter, Amber, multiple times, leaving her at the bottom of the basement stairs.
After killing his wife and daughter, Barney Fraaken turned the gun on himself in a failed suicide attempt. He then called 911 to report that he had shot his wife and child. When police arrived, they found Amy and Amber deceased. Barney was hospitalized for weeks to recover from a severe brain injury sustained from the self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Following his recovery, Barney Fraaken was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He waived his right to a jury trial and pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of his wife. As part of a plea deal, the murder charge for his daughter's death was dismissed. Barney Fraaken was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Family members, including Amy's brother and son, expressed their profound loss and grief during the sentencing, with Amy's son stating he would have preferred a death sentence for his father.
