In the quiet town of Aplington, Iowa, a deeply disturbing event shattered the community on January 18, 1983. Inside their home, 13-year-old Troy Franken, a White male, was found dead along with his entire family. The discovery was made after the children failed to attend their classes at the elementary school located just across the street from their house. This prompted a friend to check on the family, and upon receiving no answer, local authorities were alerted.
Upon entering the residence, police chief Tom Lines discovered a tragic scene. Troy, his father Darrell John Franken, 37, his sister Valerie May, 11, and his brother Dustin Jon, 7, had all been shot and killed. The perpetrator was determined to be the children's mother, 33-year-old Ethel Mae Franken, who had then taken her own life. Investigators found Ethel in her bed with the gun beside her, while her husband was on the floor nearby. The children were discovered in adjacent rooms. All the victims were in their nightclothes, suggesting the horrific events unfolded sometime during the night or early morning hours.
The investigation revealed a history of mental health struggles for Ethel Franken. She had been receiving psychiatric care for several weeks leading up to the tragedy and had been hospitalized on a few occasions. Despite this, friends who had seen her the day before the incident reported that she seemed to be doing well. A brief and vaguely worded note left by Ethel expressed concern for her children's future. As the person responsible for the deaths was also deceased, no arrests were made in the case, and the investigation concluded it was a murder-suicide. The small town of Aplington, with a population of about 900 at the time, was left in shock and mourning over the loss of the Franken family.
