Joseph Paul Franklin

Serial Killer

Joseph Paul Franklin: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Early Life and Radicalization

Joseph Paul Franklin, born James Clayton Vaughn Jr. on April 13, 1950, in Mobile, Alabama, grew up in a troubled household marked by abuse and neglect. His early fascination with evangelical Christianity evolved into an obsession with Nazism and white supremacist ideologies. He joined organizations such as the National Socialist White People's Party and the Ku Klux Klan, adopting the name Joseph Paul Franklin in 1976 to honor Nazi figure Joseph Goebbels and American founding father Benjamin Franklin. This radicalization set the stage for a series of violent crimes targeting individuals based on race and religion.

Crimes Committed (1977–1980)

Franklin's crime spree spanned several years and states, primarily targeting African Americans, Jews, and interracial couples. His actions were driven by a desire to incite a race war and "cleanse the world" of those he deemed inferior.

• July 29, 1977 – Chattanooga, Tennessee: Firebombed Beth Shalom Synagogue, destroying the building. Fortunately, no casualties occurred as the congregation had left earlier that evening.
• August 7, 1977 – Madison, Wisconsin: Shot and killed an interracial couple, Alphonse Manning Jr. and Toni Schwenn, in a parking lot at East Towne Mall. Franklin was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison for these murders.
• October 8, 1977 – St. Louis, Missouri: Opened fire on congregants leaving Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel synagogue, killing Gerald Gordon (42) and wounding Steven Goldman and William Ash.
• March 6, 1978 – Lawrenceville, Georgia: Ambushed and seriously wounded Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt and his lawyer Gene Reeves. Franklin claimed this attack was in retaliation for Hustler's depiction of interracial relationships.
• July 29, 1978 – Chattanooga, Tennessee: Shot and killed William Bryant Tatum, an African American man, with a 12-gauge shotgun. Tatum's white girlfriend, Nancy Hilton, was also shot but survived. Franklin pleaded guilty and received a life sentence.
• July 12, 1979 – Doraville, Georgia: Fatally shot Taco Bell manager Harold McIver, an African American man, through a window from 150 yards away. Franklin confessed but was not tried for this crime.
• October 21, 1979 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Murdered Jesse E. Taylor, an African American man, and his white wife, Marion Bresette.
• May 29, 1980 – Fort Wayne, Indiana: Shot and seriously wounded civil rights activist and Urban League president Vernon Jordan after seeing him with a white woman. Franklin was acquitted but later confessed to the crime.
• June 8, 1980 – Cincinnati, Ohio: Killed cousins Darrell Lane (14) and Dante Evans Brown (13) while they were walking, mistaking them for a racially mixed couple. He was convicted in 1998 and received two life sentences.
• June 15, 1980 – Johnstown, Pennsylvania: Shot and killed Arthur Smothers (22), an African American man, and Kathleen Mikula (16), a white woman, as they walked across a bridge. Franklin confessed but was never arrested for these murders.
• June 25, 1980 – Pocahontas County, West Virginia: Murdered hitchhikers Nancy Santomero (19) and Vicki Durian (26) after learning one had a black boyfriend. His confession led to the exoneration of a wrongfully convicted man.
• August 20, 1980 – Salt Lake City, Utah: Killed two African American men, Ted Fields and David Martin, near Liberty Park. Franklin was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Apprehension and Conviction

Following the murders in Utah, Franklin was detained in Kentucky for a firearm offense but escaped custody. Evidence found in his vehicle linked him to the sniper killings. His distinctive racist tattoos and habit of donating blood led the FBI to issue a nationwide alert to blood banks. A Florida blood bank worker recognized the tattoos and contacted authorities, leading to Franklin's arrest on October 28, 1980, in Lakeland, Florida. Over the next two decades, Franklin faced multiple trials across the United States, resulting in several life sentences and death penalties. Notably, during his 1997 trial for the murder of Gerald Gordon, psychiatrist Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis testified that Franklin exhibited signs of paranoid schizophrenia and was unfit to stand trial. Despite this, he was convicted and sentenced to death. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (14)

Alphonse Manning , Date of Death: August 7, 1977

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Survivors:

Steven Goldman , Date of Attack: October 8, 1977

William Ash , Date of Attack: October 8, 1977

Larry Flynt , Date of Attack: March 6, 1978

Gene Reeves , Date of Attack: March 6, 1978

Nancy Hilton , Date of Attack: July 29, 1978

Vernon Jordan , Date of Attack: May 29, 1980

Joseph Paul Franklin - Wikipedia

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