Detective Franklin was shot and killed by a man who had barricaded himself in his home.
At approximately 5:30 pm on January 30, 1926, the 21 year-old suspect shot his father in the hand, killed a neighbor, wounded three citizens and fired on an ambulance. The police were called to the scene and Detective Franklin was shot and killed as he advanced on the house. A general call was put out and every available officer responded to the house. Sheriff Owen and his deputies also responded. After a three hour exchange of gunfire, including officers threw railroad flares and dynamite into the house, starting the house on fire. After a four-hour standoff, officers stormed the home and took the suspect who had been wounded in the left thigh into custody.
The suspect was permanently crippled two years earlier when he shot himself, severing his spine, in a failed suicide attempt. The suspect was determined to be insane and was committed to a mental institution.
Detective Franklin was with the agency for over 20 years. He was survived by his wife, Cordelia, and six children. Interred: Greenlawn Memorial Gardens.
Article by Brent Marchant
Missouri Law Enforcement Memorial