State And Defense Rest In Bert Franklin Murder Trial

An Oklahoma County jury will soon decide the fate of a Tulsa dentist accused of murdering 19-month-old Lincoln Lewis in 2016 and hiring someone to kill his girlfriend, the child’s mother. 

The state and defense rested on Wednesday after several hours of witness testimony. 

The first witness connected to the murder solicitation charge took the stand Wednesday morning. 

Bert Franklin’s cellmate alleged the jailed dentist told him he wanted his girlfriend, Roxanne Randall killed. 

Read Related Story: Prosecutors Lay Out Details Of Murder-For-Hire Plot In Bert Franklin Trial

Franklin did not know his cellmate was also serving as an informant for the feds. The informant relayed Franklin’s plan to the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office and an undercover plan was put in place. A cell phone was brought into the jail to record Franklin’s conversations and texts. 

The hired hit man, a former Oklahoma County jail inmate, did not appear in court on Wednesday but attorneys read his testimony. Jurors heard a conversation he and Franklin had about a down payment of $300 for the hit on the doctor’s girlfriend and how the money would be transferred online. 

Now that both sides are done calling witnesses, they will prepare for closing statements and then wait for the jury’s verdict. 

“It is what it is,” said Scott Adams, Franklin’s attorney. “There’s a lot of stuff in this case, a lot of documents, witnesses. A lot of preparation but we’ve got through it. I think once it’s flushed out, it will be in Dr. Franklin’s favor.” 

Closing statements will start at 9 a.m. on Thursday and then the jury will begin deliberations.