Franklin DeWayne Alix
Overview
Franklin DeWayne Alix (August 6, 1975 – March 30, 2010) was an American serial killer, rapist, kidnapper, robber, and murderer whose violent crime spree occurred primarily in Houston, Texas, between August 1997 and January 1998. Armed with a pistol, Alix targeted people in apartment-complex parking lots, townhome communities, and residential areas. Investigators linked him to multiple murders, kidnappings, rapes, armed robberies, and shootings over a period of less than six months. He was arrested on January 6, 1998, convicted of capital murder, sentenced to death, and executed by lethal injection in Texas on March 30, 2010.
Pattern of Crimes
Alix typically approached victims as they arrived home or exited their vehicles. He often used a handgun to force compliance, stole money and property, and on several occasions kidnapped victims by locking them in the trunks of their own cars. Female victims were sometimes sexually assaulted during these kidnappings. His attacks escalated from robbery to repeated acts of extreme violence, including multiple fatal shootings.
Crime Spree: August 1997 – January 1998
On August 8, 1997, Alix attempted to rob Gregorio Ramirez in the parking area of a Houston apartment complex. Ramirez was shot and killed during the encounter. Over the following months, Alix committed additional robberies and kidnappings throughout Houston, frequently targeting residents returning to their apartments at night.
On September 29, 1997, he abducted a woman at gunpoint from an apartment parking lot, forced her into the trunk of her car, drove to another location, and sexually assaulted her before fleeing. Similar trunk kidnappings occurred during the fall of 1997, demonstrating a consistent pattern of control and intimidation.
On October 5, 1997, Alix fatally shot Selemawi Tewolde in another apartment-complex parking lot in Houston. Investigators later connected the killing to the same offender responsible for the earlier Ramirez homicide.
During December 1997, Alix became increasingly violent. On December 6, he confronted an apartment security guard at gunpoint, ordered him to run, and shot him in the back. The guard survived. On December 19, Alix shot and wounded another security guard during a robbery. Later that same day, a male victim escaped in a vehicle and discovered a kidnapped woman locked in the trunk; she reported that she had been robbed and raped by her attacker.
The most notorious episode occurred on January 3, 1998. Alix kidnapped 19-year-old Karyl Bridgeford, forced her into the trunk of her car, threatened to kill her and her family, drove her to her residence, and compelled her to help load stolen electronics into his vehicle. He raped her during the ordeal. While Alix was inside the home, Karyl's 23-year-old brother, Eric Bridgeford, arrived with a friend. Alix pursued Eric outside and shot him, killing him during the attempted escape.
On January 4, 1998, less than twenty-four hours later, Alix committed another armed robbery and then approached Christopher Thomas, who was sitting in his car outside his Houston home listening to music. Alix robbed him and fatally shot him before fleeing. Two days later, investigators arrested Alix and ended the six-month crime spree.
Known Victims
- Gregorio Ramirez, 41 — Date of death: August 8, 1997. Shot during an attempted robbery in the parking lot of a Houston apartment complex, Houston, Texas.
- Selemawi Tewolde — Date of death: October 5, 1997. Shot and killed in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Houston, Texas.
- Eric Bridgeford, 23 — Date of death: January 3, 1998. Shot and killed outside his sister's residence in Houston, Texas, after arriving home during the kidnapping and burglary committed by Alix.
- Christopher Thomas, 34 — Date of death: January 4, 1998. Robbed and fatally shot while sitting in his car outside his home in Houston, Texas.
Other Named Victims and Survivors
- Karyl Bridgeford, 19 — Kidnapped, confined in the trunk of her vehicle, raped, threatened with death, and forced to assist in a burglary on January 3, 1998, in Houston, Texas. She survived.
- Two Houston-area security guards — Shot during separate armed robberies on December 6 and December 19, 1997. Both survived.
Arrest, Conviction, and Execution
Alix was arrested on January 6, 1998, after investigators connected him to the Houston-area robberies, kidnappings, sexual assaults, and shootings. Prosecutors charged him with capital murder for the killing of Eric Bridgeford, which occurred during the commission of kidnapping, rape, and burglary offenses against Bridgeford's sister. A Harris County jury convicted him, and he was sentenced to death. After years of appeals, Franklin DeWayne Alix was executed by lethal injection at the Huntsville Unit in Huntsville, Texas, on March 30, 2010.
Legacy
Alix's case is remembered as one of the most violent short-term crime sprees in Houston during the late 1990s. The investigation demonstrated how a series of robberies, kidnappings, sexual assaults, and shootings across multiple apartment complexes could be linked to a single offender through witness statements, surviving victims, physical evidence, and coordinated police work. His conviction provided a measure of closure to the families of the four homicide victims and the survivors of his attacks.
