Offender Record · OFF-2026-068
Joseph Paul Franklin
Also known as James Clayton Vaughn Jr.
Sex
Male
Race
White
Height
5'11"
Born
1950
Custody
Deceased
States
FL, WV, GA, MD, MO, WI, UT, AL, IN, OH, IL, TN, CA, KY
Distinguishing featuresRacist tattoos
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Joseph Paul Franklin, born James Clayton Vaughn Jr., was convicted of eight murders committed between August 1977 and August 1980 across multiple states. Franklin targeted Black men, Jewish people, and interracial couples in a racially motivated killing spree spanning Wisconsin, Missouri, Tennessee, Ohio, Utah, and other states. He confessed to additional murders and attempted murders, including shooting civil rights leader Vernon Jordan and Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt. Franklin was sentenced to death in Missouri for the 1977 murder of Gerald Gordon and was executed by lethal injection on November 20, 2013, at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Jul 29, 1977, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Arson and bombing
Tennessee · Circuit Court · Arrested Oct 28, 1980 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 15-20 years for bombing; 6-10 years for possession of explosives
On July 29, 1977, Franklin firebombed Beth Sholom synagogue in Chattanooga, Tennessee, destroying the building. No casualties occurred because worshippers had left early that evening. Franklin was convicted of the bombing on July 17, 1984, after confessing to the crime.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Franklin, Joseph Paul; Joseph Paul Franklin #1355; Three decades later: 1977 St. Louis synagogue shooting
Offense date Aug 07, 1977, Madison, Wisconsin
First degree murder
Wisconsin · Dane County District Court · Arrested Oct 28, 1980 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Two consecutive life sentences
On August 7, 1977, Franklin shot and killed Alphonse Manning Jr. (23, Black) and Toni Schwenn (23, white) in the parking lot at East Towne Mall in Madison. The victims were targeted because they were an interracial couple. Franklin was later convicted in February 1986 after eyewitness testimony, forensic evidence, and his own confession.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Franklin, Joseph Paul; Joseph Paul Franklin: Murders, Trials, and Execution; Joseph Paul Franklin #1355
Offense date Oct 08, 1977, Richmond Heights, Missouri
First degree murder
Missouri · Circuit Court · Arrested Oct 28, 1980 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death by lethal injection
On October 8, 1977, Franklin shot and killed Gerald Gordon (42) outside Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel synagogue in Richmond Heights as guests were leaving a bar mitzvah. Franklin used a Remington 700 rifle from a makeshift gun rest constructed with nails hammered into a telephone pole. He also wounded William Ash and Steven Goldman. Franklin did not confess until 1994 while incarcerated at Marion federal penitentiary.
SourcesJoseph Paul Franklin #1355; Three decades later: 1977 St. Louis synagogue shooting; Joseph Paul Franklin: Murders, Trials, and Execution
Offense date Feb 02, 1978, Atlanta, Georgia
Aggravated murder
Tennessee · Circuit Court · Arrested Oct 28, 1980 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment
On February 2, 1978, Franklin killed Johnny Brookshire (22, Black) in Atlanta, Georgia. The victim was shot while with his white girlfriend, Joy Williams (23), who was wounded and paralyzed. Franklin later confessed to this murder in November 1999.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Franklin, Joseph Paul; Joseph Paul Franklin #1355
Offense date May 29, 1980, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Attempted murder (civil rights violation)
United States District Court, Indiana · Federal District Court · Federal Civil Rights Act · Arrested Oct 28, 1980 · Acquitted Acquitted · Sentence: Acquitted
On May 29, 1980, Franklin shot civil rights leader Vernon Jordan Jr. outside a Marriott Inn in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Jordan survived with serious injuries. Franklin was tried on federal civil rights charges and acquitted on August 17, 1982. Franklin later admitted to the shooting.
SourcesDeseret News archives: Joseph Paul Franklin sentenced for Utah murders; Joseph Paul Franklin: Murders, Trials, and Execution
Offense date Jun 08, 1980, Cincinnati, Ohio
First degree murder
Ohio · Hamilton County Common Pleas Court · Arrested Oct 28, 1980 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 99 years (later two consecutive life sentences)
On June 8, 1980, Franklin shot and killed two Black cousins, Darrell Lane (14) and Dante Evans Brown (13), from an overpass position in Cincinnati. Franklin was waiting to shoot an interracial couple but killed the boys instead. After Franklin admitted to the murders in 1997, investigator Melissa Powers obtained a recorded confession at Potosi Correctional Center.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Franklin, Joseph Paul; Joseph Paul Franklin: Murders, Trials, and Execution; Joseph Paul Franklin #1355
Offense date Aug 20, 1980, Salt Lake City, Utah
First degree murder
Utah · Utah State Court · Arrested Oct 28, 1980 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Two consecutive life sentences
On August 20, 1980, Franklin shot and killed two Black men, Ted Fields (20) and David Martin (18), who were jogging with two white women near Liberty Park. Franklin fired from a vacant field outside the park boundaries using a high-powered rifle. Victims targeted because they were Black men with white women.
SourcesDeseret News archives: Joseph Paul Franklin sentenced for Utah murders; Joseph Paul Franklin Timeline; Joseph Paul Franklin: Murders, Trials, and Execution
Offense date Aug 20, 1980, Salt Lake City, Utah
Civil rights violation resulting in death
United States District Court, Utah · Federal District Court · Federal Civil Rights Act · Arrested Oct 28, 1980 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Two consecutive life sentences
Federal jury found Franklin guilty of civil rights violations in connection with the murders of Ted Fields and David Martin on August 20, 1980. Conviction based on evidence that Franklin intentionally shot the victims because they were Black.
SourcesJoseph Paul Franklin: Murders, Trials, and Execution; Joseph Paul Franklin Timeline
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
8
Victims convicted
17
Victims confessed
22
Victims suspected
Active years
1977–1980
Victim profile
Men, Children, Teenagers, Couples, Hitchhikers, Strangers, Elderly
Stated motive
Mission or hatred of a group, Power or control
Range from home
interstate
Confessed
Yes
Cooperated with investigators
Yes
Education
some high school
Marital history
Married, Divorced
Children
1
Died
2013-11-20 · executed
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
AL
Mobile, Alabama
approx. 1950 – 1968 · Childhood home; impoverished family setting
Alabama
approx. 1977 – 1977 · Alabama National Guard · national guard
CA
San Francisco, California
approx. Aug 1980 – Sep 1980 · Traveled after Utah murders via Nevada
FL
Lakeland, Florida
Oct 28, 1980 – Oct 28, 1980 · Arrested at blood bank by FBI agents
GA
Atlanta, Georgia
approx. 1977 – 1977 · Bank robbery; killed Johnny Brookshire
IL
Marion, Illinois
approx. Jan 31, 1981 – 1994 · United States Penitentiary, Marion; stabbed 15 times by African American inmates on February 3, 1982
IN
Fort Wayne, Indiana
May 1980 – May 1980 · Shot Vernon Jordan on May 29, 1980
KY
Florence, Kentucky
Sep 25, 1980 – Sep 25, 1980 · Arrested on car theft charges; escaped from custody within hours
MD
Rockland, Maryland
Jul 1977 – Jul 1977 · Bombed home of Morris Amitay on July 25, 1977
MO
Richmond Heights, Missouri
Oct 1977 – Oct 1977 · Shot Gerald Gordon at Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel synagogue parking lot
Mineral Point, Missouri
approx. 1994 – Nov 20, 2013 · Potosi Correctional Center on death row after confessing to Gerald Gordon murder
Bonne Terre, Missouri
Nov 20, 2013 – Nov 20, 2013 · Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center; executed by lethal injection
OH
Cincinnati, Ohio
Jun 1980 – Jun 1980 · Shot Darrell Lane and Dante Evans Brown on June 8, 1980
TN
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Jul 1977 – Jul 1977 · Firebombed Beth Sholom synagogue on July 29, 1977
UT
Salt Lake City, Utah
Aug 1980 – Aug 1980 · Shot Ted Fields and David Martin near Liberty Park on August 20, 1980
Salt Lake City, Utah
approx. Nov 1980 – Mar 1981 · Federal District Court detention and trial
WI
Madison, Wisconsin
Aug 1977 – Aug 1977 · Shot Alphonse Manning and Toni Schwenn at East Towne Mall parking lot
WV
Pocahontas, West Virginia
Jun 1980 – Jun 1980 · Killed hitchhikers Nancy Santomero and Vicki Durian on June 25, 1980
Photographs by Year
Photo from en.wikipedia.org
Photo from www.deseret.com
Timeline
Apr 13, 1950
James Clayton Vaughn Jr. born in Mobile, Alabama.
1976
James Clayton Vaughn Jr. changes his name to Joseph Paul Franklin.
Jul 25, 1977
Franklin bombs the home of Morris Amitay, a Jewish lobbyist, in Rockland, Maryland.
Jul 29, 1977
Franklin firebombs Beth Sholom synagogue in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Aug 07, 1977
Franklin shoots and kills Alphonse Manning Jr. (23) and Toni Schwenn (23) at East Towne Mall parking lot in Madison, Wisconsin.
Oct 08, 1977
Franklin shoots and kills Gerald Gordon (42) and wounds two others at Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel synagogue in Richmond Heights, Missouri.
Feb 02, 1978
Franklin kills Johnny Brookshire (22) and wounds Joy Williams (23) in Atlanta, Georgia.
May 29, 1980
Franklin shoots civil rights leader Vernon Jordan Jr. in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Jun 08, 1980
Franklin shoots and kills cousins Darrell Lane (14) and Dante Evans Brown (13) in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Jun 25, 1980
Franklin kills hitchhikers Nancy Santomero (19) and Vicki Durian (26) in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
Aug 20, 1980
Franklin shoots and kills Ted Fields (20) and David Martin (18) near Liberty Park in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Sep 25, 1980
Franklin is arrested in Florence, Kentucky on car theft charges but escapes from custody within hours.
Oct 28, 1980
Franklin is arrested by FBI agents at a blood bank in Lakeland, Florida.
Oct 31, 1980
Federal jury in Utah indicts Franklin for violating the civil rights of Ted Fields and David Martin.
Mar 04, 1981
Franklin convicted in federal court of violating the civil rights of Ted Fields and David Martin; sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.
Mar 23, 1981
Franklin sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in Utah state court for the murders of Ted Fields and David Martin.
Sep 28, 1981
Franklin sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in Utah state court after trial.
Feb 03, 1982
Franklin stabbed 15 times in the neck and abdomen by a group of African American inmates at Marion federal penitentiary.
Aug 17, 1982
Franklin acquitted in federal trial for the attempted murder of Vernon Jordan in violation of civil rights.
Jul 17, 1984
Franklin convicted of bombing Beth Sholom synagogue in Chattanooga, Tennessee; sentenced to 31 years in prison.
Feb 14, 1986
Franklin convicted in Wisconsin of first degree murder for killing Alphonse Manning Jr. and Toni Schwenn; sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.
1994
Franklin confesses to the murder of Gerald Gordon while incarcerated at Marion federal penitentiary.
Feb 27, 1997
Franklin convicted in Missouri of the 1977 murder of Gerald Gordon; sentenced to death by lethal injection.
Oct 21, 1998
Franklin convicted in Ohio of the 1980 murders of Darrell Lane and Dante Evans Brown; sentenced to 99 years in prison.
Nov 20, 2013
Joseph Paul Franklin executed by lethal injection at Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri, for the 1977 murder of Gerald Gordon.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
News report · Deseret News ·
Deseret News archives: Joseph Paul Franklin sentenced for Utah murders“On Sept. 28, 1981, Joseph Paul Franklin, avowed racist and domestic terrorist, was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing two Black joggers in Salt Lake City.”
News report · LegalClarity ·
Joseph Paul Franklin: Murders, Trials, and Execution“Franklin was convicted of eight murders, claimed responsibility for as many as 22, and was executed by lethal injection in Missouri on November 20, 2013.”
Other government record · Wikipedia ·
Potosi Correctional Center“Death row inmates from Jefferson City Correctional Center were moved to Potosi.”
Other · Wikipedia ·
Joseph Paul Franklin“Joseph Paul Franklin was an American serial killer and white supremacist who murdered sixteen people between 1978 and 1980.”
Law enforcement release · Federal Bureau of Investigation ·
Serial Killers, Part 4: White Supremacist Joseph Franklin“Before his reign of murder ended in 1980, he took the lives of at least 15 men, women, and children in some 11 states.”
News report · The Salt Lake Tribune ·
Joseph Paul Franklin Timeline“On Aug. 20, 1980, Ted Fields, David Martin, Terry Elrod and Karma Ingersoll are crossing 500 East at 900 South at 10:15 p.m. after jogging in Liberty Park as shots are fired.”
Other government record · Clark Prosecutor's Office ·
Joseph Paul Franklin #1355“Executed November 20, 2013 6:17 a.m. by Lethal Injection in Missouri for the 1977 murder of Gerald Gordon.”
News report · CNN ·
Serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin prepares to die“Franklin confessed to police that college student Rebecca Bergstrom enraged him because she said on spring break, she once dated a Jamaican man.”
News report · Southern Poverty Law Center ·
Hatewatch Exclusive: Racist Serial Killer, Facing Death, Recants“I've prayed to the Lord for forgiveness. I not only asked the Lord for me, but I've prayed for all of my victims, too.”
Other · Murderpedia ·
Joseph Paul Franklin“He was convicted of several murders, and given six life sentences, as well as a death sentence.”
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Franklin, Joseph Paul“Joseph Paul Franklin, a white supremacist who targeted blacks and Jews in a cross-country killing spree from 1977 to 1980.”
News report · St. Louis Jewish Light ·
Three decades later: 1977 St. Louis synagogue shooting“On Oct. 7 1977, Joseph Paul Franklin shot and killed guest Gerald Gordon and wounded two others.”
Discussion
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