Photo: Justice For Lincoln/Facebook
A 35-year-old Oklahoma dentist has been convicted of first-degree murdertwo years after his arrest for the killingof his girlfriend’s 19-month-old son, PEOPLE confirms.
Prosecutors say Bert Franklin, of Tulsa, will learn his fate on Oct. 19, when he is scheduled for sentencing.
The same jurors who returned last week’s guilty verdict have recommended Franklin spend the rest of his life in prison.
His victim,Lincoln Lewis, was the son of Roxanne Randall, with whom Franklin was having an affair at the time. Franklin was then married and has four children.
He was also found guilty of first-degree soliciting murder, according to prosecutors, who said he tried hiring someone from jail to kill Randall as his trial approached.
He was arrestedsoon after Lincoln’s death on July 18, 2016,and pleaded not guilty. Two days earlier, he dropped the toddler on his head and then kicked him while at Randall’s home in Oklahoma City, leaving him with a skull fracture and brain bleeding, according to authorities.
After kicking the boy, Franklin can be seen in the footage cradling Lincoln, who appears limp, and eating a slice of pizza.
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage?Click hereto get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
Oklahoma City Jail
Randall was home but told investigators she was upstairs.
She said she ran downstairs when she heard a loud thud, but Franklin allegedly told her he was throwing a ball to the dog and her son was fast asleep.
After the verdict, Oklahoma County Assistant District Attorney Gayland Gieger spoke to reporters about the two-week trial.
Of her son, she said, “Although he isn’t physically here, [my] love will never diminish; Lincoln’s death was a nightmare I face every day. But He is still very much a part of our family. I wholeheartedly believe that he would still be here today if the people that had knowledge of Bert Franklin’s abusive behaviors would have reported him.
“This should serve as a reminder that abusers aren’t always easily identifiable. They often hide among us as successful people and loving fathers.”
Franklin’s attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
