Prosecutors Lay Out Details Of Murder-For-Hire Plot In Bert Franklin Trial

Oklahoma County jurors heard phone calls between jail inmates and hired help, allegedly hatching a murder plan.

New details emerged on Tuesday in the murder trial for former Tulsa dentist, Bert Franklin. He is on trial for the death of his mistress’s child and investigators allege he arranged a hit on the woman from his jail cell.

A year after Franklin was jailed for the death of 19-month-old Lincoln Lewis, an investigator for the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s office got a tip that Franklin allegedly wanted a woman killed, later learned to be Roxanne Randall, Lincoln’s mother.

Read Related Story: Dentist Charged In Baby’s Death Also Being Tried In Murder-For-Hire Plot

The investigator told the court the tip came from Franklin’s cellmate, who was also a law enforcement informant.

The DA investigator said he determined the tip was credible and eventually had a smuggled cell phone given to Franklin as a way to track his conversations.

The jury heard multiple phone calls between Franklin, the informant and a felon on the outside, the alleged hit man. In one call, Franklin arranged to have $300 transferred online to the hit man. He was also heard giving specific directions to Randall’s home, that she has a dog, home cameras and a picture of her can be found on Facebook.

Earlier in the day, Franklin’s defense team called a pediatric neurologist to testify to the toddler’s medical records. 

The doctor reviewed the child’s CT scans of his head injury taken at two different hospitals. 

The toddler was diagnosed with and died from a skull fracture and brain bleed from abuse. 

See Also: Mother Of Murdered Toddler Testifies Against Accused Killer Bert Franklin

The doctor told the court he thought the first CT scan from the emergency room looked very normal, besides the brain bleed. The witness said based on the first CT scan he would not have expected the child to die.

There was a brief heated exchange between the doctor and the prosecutor as the medical expert was questioned about his credentials and knowledge of pediatric head injuries. 

The doctor did admit to being paid more than $7,000 for his expert testimony. 

Witness testimony will continue on Wednesday.