Antoinette Frank: The Killer Cop of New Orleans
Overview
Antoinette Renee Frank was a New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officer who, in a shocking betrayal of her badge, committed a brutal triple murder during a restaurant robbery in 1995. Along with her accomplice and lover, Rogers LaCaze, Frank murdered a fellow police officer and two young siblings who worked at their family's Vietnamese restaurant. The crime stunned the city of New Orleans, further damaging the reputation of a police force already plagued by corruption. Frank, who had a deeply troubled past and a problematic history with the NOPD, was quickly identified by survivors, convicted, and sentenced to death. She remains the only woman on Louisiana's death row, her case a dark chapter in the city's history.
Early Life and Background
Antoinette Renee Frank was born on April 30, 1971, in Opelousas, Louisiana. Her childhood was marked by severe trauma and abuse. Her father, Adam Frank, a Vietnam veteran, was reportedly physically and emotionally abusive to his children. In subsequent legal filings, Frank alleged that her father's abuse was relentless and included sexual assault beginning when she was a child, which resulted in her being forced to have multiple abortions as a teenager. This history of trauma is believed by psychologists to have led to post-traumatic stress disorder and dependent personality disorder.
Despite her turbulent home life, Frank aspired to be a police officer from a young age. As a teenager, she participated in junior police programs. After graduating high school, she moved to New Orleans with the goal of joining the NOPD. Her path to becoming an officer, however, was not straightforward.
A Troubled Police Career
Frank first applied to the New Orleans Police Department in 1991 but failed a psychological exam, which found she had a tendency to lie and exaggerate. Despite this, and a psychiatrist's recommendation against hiring her, a loophole allowed her to get a more favorable evaluation from a private practitioner, and she was eventually hired by the NOPD in February 1993. The department was facing a severe staffing shortage at the time.
Although Frank graduated near the top of her police academy class, her performance on the force was poor. Fellow officers described her as shy, indecisive, and prone to irrational behavior, lacking the fundamental skills for police work. By August 1993, her superiors were already considering sending her back for remedial training.
In late 1994, Frank's life became entangled with 18-year-old Rogers LaCaze, a known drug dealer. After she responded to a shooting where he was injured, the two began a relationship. Frank became his benefactor, and he became a constant presence in her life, even riding in her patrol car while she was on duty. This relationship would prove to be the catalyst for the horrific events to come.
The Kim Anh Restaurant Murders
In the early morning hours of March 4, 1995, Antoinette Frank and Rogers LaCaze committed a robbery at the Kim Anh, a Vietnamese restaurant in New Orleans East owned by the Vu family. Frank was familiar with the restaurant and its staff, as she and fellow NOPD officer Ronald A. Williams II worked off-duty security there.
Shortly after 1 a.m., after the restaurant had closed, Frank used a key she had stolen to let herself and LaCaze inside. They first confronted Officer Williams, who was on duty. LaCaze shot the 25-year-old officer twice in the head and once in the back, killing him. LaCaze then stole Williams's wallet and gun.
Frank then herded two of the Vu family's children, 24-year-old Ha and 17-year-old Cuong, into the kitchen. As they knelt on the floor begging for their lives, Frank shot them multiple times. Ha died instantly. Cuong lingered, and Frank shot him again in the head to silence him. During the rampage, three other members of the Vu family—siblings Chau and Quoc, and another employee—hid in a walk-in cooler, where they witnessed parts of the horrific event. After ransacking the restaurant for money, Frank and LaCaze fled.
The Victims
- Ronald A. Williams II, 25 — A devoted NOPD officer and former partner of Frank's, he was working a security detail to support his wife and their two young sons, the youngest of whom was only ten days old.
- Ha Vu, 24 — A daughter of the restaurant's owners, she worked long hours at the family business and was considering becoming a nun.
- Cuong Vu, 17 — The youngest son, he was an altar boy who played high school football and wanted to become a priest.
Investigation and Capture
In a chilling and audacious move, Antoinette Frank returned to the Kim Anh restaurant shortly after the murders, this time in her police uniform and patrol car, pretending to be one of the responding officers. She attempted to control the crime scene, likely with the intent of killing any surviving witnesses.
However, when Chau Vu emerged from the cooler after the killers had left, she made a frantic 911 call. When police arrived, including Frank, Chau immediately identified Frank as one of the murderers. Chau’s brother, Quoc, also identified Frank. Confronted by the irrefutable testimony of the survivors, Frank was arrested at the scene. LaCaze was apprehended later that night; he had used Officer Williams's credit card at a gas station shortly after the murders, which helped lead police to him. Frank later confessed, though she tried to place the blame for the killings on LaCaze.
The Disappearance of Adam Frank
A year and a half before the restaurant massacre, in 1993, Antoinette Frank had reported her father, Adam Frank, missing. He had been staying at her home shortly before his disappearance. In November 1995, a month after Frank was sentenced to death, a dog uncovered a human skull with a bullet hole buried under her house. The remains were widely believed to be those of her father, but authorities never formally identified them, and no charges were ever filed in connection with his disappearance and presumed death.
Trial and Sentence
Antoinette Frank and Rogers LaCaze were indicted for three counts of first-degree murder on April 28, 1995. Their trials were severed. LaCaze was tried first in July 1995, found guilty, and sentenced to death.
Frank's trial began on September 5, 1995. The evidence against her was so overwhelming that her defense attorneys called no witnesses and presented no evidence, despite having subpoenaed nearly 40 people. On September 12, after only 22 minutes of deliberation—a record for a New Orleans capital case at the time—the jury found her guilty on all three counts. The next day, it took them just 45 minutes to recommend the death penalty. On October 20, 1995, Antoinette Frank was formally sentenced to death.
Aftermath and Legal Battles
Antoinette Frank was sent to the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel, where she remains the only woman on the state's death row. Her case became a symbol of the deep-seated problems within the NOPD during a period of rampant corruption.
Over the decades, Frank has continued to appeal her conviction and sentence, arguing that she received ineffective legal counsel and that the jury never heard the extensive evidence of the abuse she suffered as a child. Her lawyers contend that this trauma made her vulnerable to manipulation by LaCaze, whom they portray as the mastermind. Two jurors have since stated that they would have voted for a life sentence had they known about her history of abuse.
In 2019, Rogers LaCaze's death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment due to due process issues related to his trial, including juror misconduct and conflicts of interest involving the trial judge. Frank's own bid for clemency was denied by the Louisiana Board of Pardons and Paroles in October 2023. Her legal challenges are ongoing, with her attorneys filing new petitions for post-conviction relief. The case continues to be a painful memory for the victims' families and the city of New Orleans.
