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"An Outsider And Honest Besides"

Writer: Murder in the Rain
Murder in the Rain
6 hours ago
3 min read

Michael, 42, was a former prosecutor and judge, chosen as Director of the Oregon Department of Corrections in 1987. On January 17, 1989, the night before he was to speak to the Oregon Senate about corruption he’d discovered, he was stabbed to death.

Officials refused the theory that this had been a move to silence Michael, instead insisting he had been the victim of a car burglary. In 1991, 29-year-old petty criminal Frank Gable was railroaded into a no-parole life sentence for Michael Francke's murder. He spent the next 28 years incarcerated. 

In 2019, Gable's conviction was overturned, and he was exonerated, receiving a settlement of 1.9 million dollars, paid by the State of Oregon. This was after a federal appellate court found "significant investigative misconduct" by the State, as well as the exclusion of crucial evidence indicating another suspect in the murder.

Now, almost 40 years after Michael Francke's murder, his unknown killer or killers remain free, and local journalist Phil Stanford has written a book about the murder, the wrongful conviction, and how Michael’s brother, Kevin, has been fighting for justice for all these years. “Who Killed Michael Francke- and How They Got Away with It” is available now.  We will be interviewing Phil Stanford on the Murder in the Rain Podcast to discuss this case for an upcoming episode. 

While Michael Francke's murder remains unsolved, there doesn’t seem to be a specific agency handling the case. The Oregon State Police, in fact, has refused to reopen the investigation, which they initially led in 1991.



Our True Crime Tuesday segment on KOIN's AM Extra about Michael's murder.

Michael Francke
Michael Francke
Michael meeting and receiving praise for his reform work from then President Carter
Michael meeting and receiving praise for his reform work from then President Carter
Michael working outside one of the prisons he was in charge of
Michael working outside one of the prisons he was in charge of
Michael's office door, where he was found murdered on January 18th, 1989. It's believed his time of death was 7pm on the 17th.
Michael's office door, where he was found murdered on January 18th, 1989. It's believed his time of death was 7pm on the 17th.
A closer look at the bloody handprint at the door
A closer look at the bloody handprint at the door
Homicide working the scene
Homicide working the scene
Oregon State Police officers seek clues in front of the Corrections Department administration building in a photo published in the Statesman Journal on Jan. 19, 1989, two days after corrections director Michael Francke was murdered. - Statesman Journal Archives
Oregon State Police officers seek clues in front of the Corrections Department administration building in a photo published in the Statesman Journal on Jan. 19, 1989, two days after corrections director Michael Francke was murdered. - Statesman Journal Archives
The Statesman Journal published this map Jan 25, 1989, showing information released by police in the days after the murder of prison chief Michael Francke.
The Statesman Journal published this map Jan 25, 1989, showing information released by police in the days after the murder of prison chief Michael Francke.
Frank Gable, convicted in 1991 for the murder of Oregon prison boss Michael Francke, goes over evidence in 2000 that he claims proves he deserves a new trial. After decades of appeals, a federal judge ruled April 18, 2019 that he should be retried or released within 90 days. - Statesman Journal File
Frank Gable, convicted in 1991 for the murder of Oregon prison boss Michael Francke, goes over evidence in 2000 that he claims proves he deserves a new trial. After decades of appeals, a federal judge ruled April 18, 2019 that he should be retried or released within 90 days. - Statesman Journal File
Phil's Book- Click the link below to get your copy!
Phil's Book- Click the link below to get your copy!

 
 
 

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