Transcript

The Racist Sniper Who Tried to Start a War | The FBI Files

From The FBI Files · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 50 min · 6,921 words · 150 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "The Racist Sniper Who Tried to Start a War | The FBI Files", an episode of The FBI Files published December 6, 2025 (50 min, about 6,921 words). It mentions 23 people, works and ideas, including Benny (grandson of Benjamin Franklin), Don Bell, FBI, David Martin, Ted Fields.

What this episode is about

The narrative explores a chilling series of racially motivated sniper attacks in Utah during the 1980s, where the killer targeted African-American men in unprovoked shootings, prompting a nationwide manhunt by the FBI. Despite the urgency of the investigation and eyewitness accounts of the chaos that ensued during the attacks, authorities struggled with minimal evidence and a lack of witnesses to identify the elusive sniper.

Key takeaways

  • The specter of unresolved racial violence lurks, reminding us that hatred can strike unexpectedly in broad daylight.
  • Even in a community known for its tranquility, a sniper shattered innocence, proving violence knows no boundaries.
  • The manhunt revealed a chilling truth: sometimes, the most dangerous threats hide in plain sight.
  • In the face of brutality, community outrage surged, highlighting that silence in the face of hate is complicity.
  • One fleeting moment can alter lives forever; a jog in the park turned into a tragic intersection of fate.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: David Martin, Ted Fields, Terry Elrod, Don Bell
  2. – 10:00: Salt Lake City, Utah, Camaro, Curtis Jensen, Steve Snar
  3. – 15:00: Bill Hagman, Camaro, Regal Inn, Marlin
  4. – 20:00: Cincinnati, Dante Brown, Daryl Lane, Camaro
  5. – 25:00: Camaro, Cincinnati, Don Bell, Curtis Jensen
  6. – 30:00: Benny (grandson of Benjamin Franklin), Camaro, Cincinnati, Curtis Jensen
  7. – 35:00: Benny (grandson of Benjamin Franklin), Cincinnati, Birdtown, Alabama
  8. – 40:00: Benny (grandson of Benjamin Franklin), Camaro, David Martin, Ted Fields
  9. – 45:00: Benny (grandson of Benjamin Franklin), Ku Klux Klan, Curtis Jensen, Larry Flint
  10. – 50:00: Benny (grandson of Benjamin Franklin), Cincinnati, Don Bell

Notable quotes from "The Racist Sniper Who Tried to Start a War | The FBI Files"

  • 20-year-old Ted Fields and 18-year-old David Martin had just finished choir practice.
    about Ted Fields · at
  • David Martin, barely alive, was rushed to the hospital but died hours later of three gunshot wounds.
    about David Martin · at
  • Salt, Lake, City, Detective, Don, Bell, didn't know why the youths were targeted.
    about Don Bell · at
  • FBI, special, agent, Curtis, Jensen, from, the Salt Lake City office was assigned to assist local investigators.
    about FBI · at
  • He, explained, that, he, was, a, contract hitman for the Ku Klux Clan and said Do you want me to kill those niggers?
    about Ku Klux Klan · at
  • Police, in, Cincinnati,, were investigating a similar unsolved double murder that happened 2 months earlier.
    about Cincinnati · at
  • Glad, to., Detectives, discovered, that, his registration card listed a Camaro with its license plate number.
    about Camaro · at
  • This time, the fugitive registered with his real name, Joseph Paul Franklin.
    about Benny (grandson of Benjamin Franklin) · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Benny (grandson of Benjamin Franklin) — Person · Primary perpetrator / fugitive subject · 39 mentions · first at
    Identified as the suspected traveling serial killer; his arrest, escapes, ideology, and prosecution drive the episode’s narrative.
  • Don Bell — Person · Lead local investigator (Salt Lake City detective) · 3 mentions · first at
    Central law-enforcement voice; develops key leads (motel cards, Camaro plates, composites) and coordinates with FBI/other jurisdictions.
  • David Martin — Person · Victim (Liberty Park shooting) · 4 mentions · first at
    Second Salt Lake City victim; his shooting and death anchor the timeline and the investigation’s early evidence (casings, ballistics).
  • Ted Fields — Person · Victim (Liberty Park shooting) · 4 mentions · first at
    One of the two men killed in Salt Lake City; his death is a core event used to establish motive and federal civil-rights jurisdiction.
  • Curtis Jensen — Person · FBI special agent / manhunt lead (Salt Lake City office) · 5 mentions · first at
    Key FBI operational figure: assists local investigators, coordinates motel canvass, and spearheads the manhunt after Franklin’s escape.
    Agent Jensen spearheaded the manhunt for the FBI.
  • Terry Elrod — Person · Surviving victim / eyewitness (Liberty Park shooting) · 3 mentions · first at
    Shot but survives; provides immediate post-attack recollection and becomes part of early suspect exploration via her father.
    Terry Elrod had just begun dating David a few weeks earlier and had set up her friend Karma Ingresol with Ted. This was their first date. The four had met to jog in the park, but decided to walk and.
  • Bill Hagman — Person · Alias used by suspect (Franklin) · 2 mentions · first at
    Name used on motel registrations and in Mickey’s account; becomes the investigative handle enabling handwriting comparison and multi-motel linkage.
    After their stay at the motel Hagman offered to treat her to lunch then drive her home.
  • Steve Snar — Person · Federal prosecutor (Assistant U.S. Attorney) / referenced expert · 2 mentions · first at
    Monitors and later helps explain the civil-rights prosecution strategy; highlights evidentiary importance of Franklin’s distinctive Camaro.
    Assistant US attorney Steve Snar recalls that Franklin's Camaro proved crucial to his case.
  • Dante Brown — Person · Victim (Cincinnati shooting; survivor initially) · 2 mentions · first at
    One of two Cincinnati youths shot in a similar sniper-style attack; the case linkage helps establish a traveling serial killer pattern.
    On a late evening in June 1980 13-year-old Dante Brown and 14-year-old Daryl Lane walked to the candy store close to their homes.
  • Daryl Lane — Person · Victim (Cincinnati shooting; killed) · 2 mentions · first at
    Killed in the Cincinnati double shooting; later Franklin is convicted for these murders, extending the episode’s arc beyond Utah.
    On a late evening in June 1980 13-year-old Dante Brown and 14-year-old Daryl Lane walked to the candy store close to their homes.
  • Jim Calstrom — Person · Narrator / referenced authority (former FBI official) · 1 mention · first at
    Frames federal jurisdiction and why the FBI becomes involved, lending institutional context to the civil-rights investigation.
    Witnesses, they found the odds stacked against them. and they had no idea where the killer would strike next. I'm Jim Calstrom, former head of the FBI's New York office. Civil…
  • Larry Flint — Person · Referenced victim of Franklin (public figure) · 1 mention · first at
    Cited via jailhouse informant account as a high-profile shooting Franklin confessed to; used to demonstrate broader pattern and motive.
    Franklin, admitted, shooting, Hustler publisher Larry Flint, crippling him in 1977 for portraying black men with white women in his magazine.
  • Vernon Jordan — Person · Referenced victim of Franklin (civil rights leader) · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as another confessed shooting, reinforcing the civil-rights dimension and Franklin’s ideological targeting.
    Franklin also said he shot Vernon Jordan, the president of the National Urban League in May of 1980.
  • Karma Ingresol — Person · Eyewitness / intended jogger (Liberty Park group) · 1 mention · first at
    Part of the group present at the attack; her presence helps establish the social context (double date) that Franklin later cites as motive.
    Terry Elrod had just begun dating David a few weeks earlier and had set up her friend Karma Ingresol with Ted. This was their first date. The four had met to jog in the park, but decided to walk and talk instead.

Companies & orgs

  • FBI — Company · Investigative agency · 1 mention · first at
    Primary law enforcement agency investigating the serial killings and coordinating the nationwide manhunt.

Products & tech

  • Camaro — Product · Evidence · 12 mentions · first at
    The car driven by the serial killer, which was a key piece of evidence linking him to the crimes.
  • Marlin — Product · Evidence · 2 mentions · first at
    Type of rifle used in the murders, identified by FBI ballistics analysis.
    Examiners determined that the weapon had been a sixshot rifle, either a Marlin or Glenfield 3030.
  • Glenfield 3030 — Product · Evidence · 1 mention · first at
    Type of rifle used in the murders, identified by FBI ballistics analysis.
    Examiners determined that the weapon had been a sixshot rifle, either a Marlin or Glenfield 3030.

Concepts & topics

  • Ku Klux Klan — Concept · Key argument · 1 mention · first at
    The serial killer claimed affiliation with the KKK, which was central to understanding his racially motivated crimes.

Places & events

  • Salt Lake City, Utah — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at
    Primary location where two of the racially motivated murders occurred, sparking the FBI investigation.
    We'd, never, had, a, homicide, this, in Salt Lake City. We had never had people just gunned down, especially young people, gunned down in the middle of an intersection. The general public wanted.
  • Cincinnati — Place · Setting · 13 mentions · first at
    Location of similar unsolved double murders that were later connected to the same serial killer.
  • Birdtown, Alabama — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at
    Hometown of the serial killer, providing background on his upbringing and racial beliefs.
    Birdtown, is, described, as, basically, one side of the track is black and the other side is white. And so there was a lot of racial tension in his upbringing. there was a lot of problems between.
  • Regal Inn — Place · Setting · 1 mention · first at
    Motel where the serial killer stayed, providing crucial evidence linking him to the crimes.
    He drove her to the Regal Inn motel.

Full transcript with timestamps

Across the country, young men were being shot down in cold blood. The killer struck unexpectedly. His attacks were unprovoked. His sole motivation was racial hatred.

And, after, he, killed, he, vanished., Heat. Heat. Heat. When a sniper in Utah started targeting African-American men for death authorities launched a massive investigation. With scant clues and no witnesses, they found the odds stacked against them. and they had no idea where the killer would strike next. I'm Jim Calstrom, former head of the FBI's New York office. Civil rights violations fall under federal jurisdiction. So, the killings become the FBI's business. The investigation soon grew into a nationwide manhunt for a roving serial killer.

Salt Lake City, Utah. On an August night in 1980, four youths walked through Liberty Park enjoying the last days of their summer. 20-year-old Ted Fields and 18-year-old David Martin had just finished choir practice. Terry Elrod had just begun dating David a few weeks earlier and had set up her friend Karma Ingresol with Ted. This was their first date. The four had met to jog in the park, but decided to walk and talk instead. They were too preoccupied with each other to notice a man watching them through the scope of his rifle.

When David Martin dropped to his knees the others thought he was joking. Then Terry felt something sting her arm and she knew he was deadly [screaming] serious.

Ted, told, the, girls, to, take, cover, while he tried to help his friend. Then he too was shot down.

Police, and, rescue, units,, raced, to the scene. David Martin, barely alive, was rushed to the hospital but died hours later of three gunshot wounds.

Ted, Fields,, the, son, of, a, police chaplain, was dead. Witnesses told police they heard shots coming from an abandoned building across the street

but, no, one, saw, the, shots, fire, and, no, one saw the gunner. Detectives, spoke,, with, Terry Elrod at the nearby trauma center where she was being treated for her wound.

She, was, still, badly, shaken,, but, told investigators what she could recall.

I'm, sorry. When she and her friends reached the intersection, she thought she heard firecrackers.

David, crumpled, and, she, felt, a, sting, on her arm. She saw blood, then realized that David was seriously wounded.

As, she, told, her, story,, she, recalled something that had happened a few minutes before the shooting. The group was almost hit by a car traveling the wrong way down a one-way street,

but, she, could, not, identify, the, make, model, or license plate, and she never saw the driver.

Salt, Lake, City, Detective, Don, Bell, didn't know why the youths were targeted.

These, were, young, boys., They'd, never, been in trouble with the police. Uh we didn't have an outstanding motive. Uh we didn't know whether it was something related to the girls, whether something related to the boys, or just a case of mistaken identity.

In, the, morning,, police, returned, to, the crime scene to conduct a more thorough search.

In, a, field, across,, from, the, park, police found tire tracks. Technicians, photographed, and, measured them. Close to the tracks, police recovered six bullet casings. Right there.

Witnesses, said, they, had, heard, the gunfire coming from the abandoned building. Now, detectives believe that what they heard were the echoes. The shooter had apparently hidden in the bushes, lying in wait for the forcer to walk into range. Police matched the casings to the bullets that killed the two young men.

They sent the evidence to the FBI ballistics lab in Washington DC to determine the type of gun the assassin used. That would take time. Investigators tried to find other leads to the killer's identity. Bel started with the family members of the victims. In particular, Terry Lrod's father seemed like a possible suspect.

Is, he, looking, for, me? Teach, Elrod, led, an, outlaw, biker, gang, and was upset that Terry was dating a black man.

The, detectives, spent, 3, days, tracking, him down. So,, where, have, you, been?

Hanging, out., When, they, found, him, he agreed to come in for questioning. Investigators, were, very, thorough, with him.

He, said,, he'd, been, on, a whitewater rafting ship and that friends could back up his story.

What?, I, didn't, just, have, a, seat. I, did.,, Just, have, a, seat. What, am, I, under, arrest, or, something?

Detectives, weren't, convinced., They demanded Elrod take a polygraph test. Find, out, right, now., Have, a, seat.

He, would, pass, and, his, alibi, was corroborated. Police had no more suspects.

They, returned, to, the, Liberty, Park, crime scene to canvas the neighborhood. One resident, Gary Spicer, told investigators he had seen something suspicious earlier that evening. A car had parked close to his home, and he went out to investigate. Hey yo, buddy.

He, saw, a, man, packing, or, unpacking something in the trunk. What, are, you, doing?, What, are, you, doing in my neighborhood?

Spicer, asked, what, he, was, doing,, but, the stranger simply shut the trunk and drove away. Spicer didn't see his face, but told investigators that he was a slender white man.

He, described, the, car, as, a, Camaro, with chrome mags. All right. Yeah. Detectives, thought, the, information, was promising since the car was parked close to where they had earlier found the tire tracks.

2, days, after, the, murders,, police, seemed no closer to solving it. Press coverage intensified and community outrage escalated.

We'd, never, had, a, homicide, like, this, in Salt Lake City. We had never had people just gunned down, especially young people, gunned down in the middle of an intersection. The general public wanted to know about the killings. They wanted to know if they were race related. With the possibility of civil rights violations, concern grew in the Justice Department. Assistant US Attorney Steve Snar was brought in to monitor the case. Members of the black community were particularly concerned and were somewhat vocal about whether this was racially motivated, but at the time there were no clear answers.

FBI, special, agent, Curtis, Jensen, from, the Salt Lake City office was assigned to assist local investigators. When I first heard about this case, I was insensed. It caused a great deal of concern among not just the black community but all of the community community in Salt Lake City. They felt that there was an assassin loose and it could happen again. As community pressure grew, test results from the FBI Ballistics Lab in Washington DC offered investigators a fresh lead. Examiners determined that the weapon had been a sixshot rifle, either a Marlin or Glenfield 3030.

After searching gun shops and classified ads for recent purchases investigators assembled 150 weapons that matched the description. They tested each one. None had fired the bullets found at the scene. By now, it was likely that the asalent had fled the area and perhaps the state. So, the FBI sent out nationwide teletypes to local and federal agencies describing details of the crime including the weapon and shell casings. With still no suspects, a $50,000 reward was offered to promote the public's help.

Calls, flooded, in. All, were, checked., None, panned, out. Most who came forward were after the money and had nothing solid to offer. But one showed a hint of promise. A young woman claimed she might have met the killer. She identified herself as Mickey, a part-time prostitute. She was reluctant to talk to police until Detective Bell assured her she wouldn't be charged if she came in for an interview. She was actually a struggling college student and so she would go out two days a week and work uh on one of the streets that a lot of the prostitutes worked on.

She told the detective about a man she had met sometime in August, close to the time of the killings. Mickey was walking down the street when a man in a Camaro pulled up and asked if she wanted to party. She hadn't planned on turning any trips that day, so she said no. He said he'd make it worth her while. She relented since she needed the money and the man didn't seem threatening. He spoke with a southern accent and introduced himself as Bill Hagman. He drove her to the Regal Inn motel.

She's, getting, ready, to, go. In, the, room,,, Mickey, noticed, that Hagman had weapons. She described two long guns that stood in the corner and one silver handgun. Hagman didn't talk about them and Mickey was afraid to ask. She also said that the man had tattoos on both arms. On his left forearm was an American Eagle. On the right, the Grim Reaper. After their stay at the motel Hagman offered to treat her to lunch then drive her home. At an intersection on the way to the restaurant, he pulled out his handgun and said something she would never forget.

Who's, with, this, guy? He, explained, that, he, was, a, contract hitman for the Ku Klux Clan and said "Do you want me to kill those niggers?" Uh, she says, "Put the gun away." She was very concerned about what he was going to do. He then says, "It's real easy. I've done work like this before. You just walk up, you shoot them, you walk on. Everybody's concerned with them falling. No one pays any attention to you.

Mickey, was, terrified,, but, was, able, to talk him out of killing the pedestrian. Afterward, Hagman dropped her at her apartment where he briefly met her roommate. Belle wondered if Mickey was reliable or just another false witness looking for the reward money. Even if her story was true, Hagman's role in the case was unclear. It's

okay., Just, take, it. Did, it, have, anything, to, do, with, our killing or was this just a bad guy that was blowing through town and trying to you know, uh, make this part-time hooker be impressed with his ability of being a hitman or something.

If, Mickey, could, identify, the, long, guns she saw in the motel room, her story would have more weight, especially if she identified them as either a Glenfield or Marlin rifle, which the FBI had determined to be the murder weapon. pres.

Mickey, told, Belle, she, didn't, know, much about firearms and didn't look at the weapons for very long.

All right,, if, I, if, I, had, to, pick, it, the, detective, insisted, she, tried.

If, I, had, to, but, the, guns, she, chose, from, the, photos didn't match either murder weapon. Mickey's story seemed like another dead end. Despite his doubts, Belle made an appointment for her and her roommate to come back and work with a police sketch artist. Meanwhile, investigators continued to pursue the hundreds of leads that poured in. Public pressure was mounting. The community feared that the sniper could strike again, and police didn't know that he already had. 3 weeks after the double murder of two young black men in Salt Lake City, the killer's identity remained unknown.

Then the investigation took an unexpected turn. Local authorities received a response to the national tel sent by the FBI.

Police, in, Cincinnati,, were investigating a similar unsolved double murder that happened 2 months earlier. On a late evening in June 1980 13-year-old Dante Brown and 14-year-old Daryl Lane walked to the candy store close to their homes. They never saw the man watching them. Danger struck quickly. They didn't have a chance.

Cincinnati police raced to the scene. They found Daryl Lane dead. Dante, was, still, alive, but, in, serious condition.

Both, boys, have, been, shot, twice. Just, got, here., Just, tied, it, off. Officers, talked, to, onlookers, hoping someone had seen something, but no one had. Detective Mike O'Brien of the Cincinnati Police recalls that the coroner provided investigators with their first clue. The coroner responded to the scene and he had already performed a post-mortem examination on one of the young men and was able to tell the trajectory and the direction the shots were fired in. The corrunner pointed them towards the train trestle 75 ft away.

Police, combed, the, trestle. Among the overgrowth, they recovered four spent rifle casings.

Ballistics, analysts,, determined that they were shot from a 44 Ruger carbine rifle. Months had passed since the double murder in Cincinnati, and detectives had no suspects. No one knew why someone would want to kill the teenagers. This wasn't the typical homicide when you have two children, 13, 14 year old children that are shot sniper style shooting with no clear motive. Uh, two children on their way to a candy store. Uh, it it obviously had the city and the neighborhood in an uproar.

When, O'Brien, heard, about, the, Salt, Lake City sniper, he invited the detectives to Cincinnati to compare the cases more closely. to Salt Lake City Detective Bell. The connection was significant. It revealed a breed of killer not encountered before 1980.

Once, we, were, made, aware, of, this information, uh we were pretty much convinced that we were dealing with the same killer from back east. And this was actually our real first uh involvement with what is commonly now referred to as a as a traveling serial killer. Uh this was a new concept to everybody, not just out in Salt Lake. It was a new concept anywhere in the country that killers would just travel across the country. While police from both states met in Cincinnati to search for answers Detective Bell in Salt Lake City followed up on the slim lead from the prostitute named Mickey. She told him that she'd spent time with a man named Bill Hagman at the Regal in Motel.

He carried guns and drove a Camaro like one described by witnesses close to the crime scene. At the motel, Bell found a registration card signed by Hagman and dated August 16th, 4 days before the murders. The address Hagman listed was in Kentucky.

We, had, the, FBI, run, the, name, through their entire database. They had nothing on that name. So, we felt fairly confident that everything he'd put on this registration slip was was fraudulent.

FBI, Labs, in, Washington,, DC, dusted, the card for latent fingerprints but found none. They also analyzed Hagman's handwriting and noted some unique characteristics that would make it easy to identify. They had no proof he was the killer, but he was the only lead they had. Although it was a long shot, a team of 20 detectives spread out to search other motel in the area. They carried copies of Hagman's Regal in registration card

hoping, to, match, his, handwriting, in, the event he used a different alias. Agent, Jensen, recalls, the, extensive search and they conducted a search of all motel rooms from Ogden, which is 30 mi north of Salt Lake, to Provo, which is 30 mi south. And they located about eight motel where this individual had stayed using false names, each one different, using phony addresses and using false license numbers for his car. Local investigators also discovered the suspect had stayed at the scenic motel on August 20th, the day of the murders.

It was just nine blocks from the shootings in Liberty Park. Though Hagman used different names at each motel

the, FBI, labs, confirmed, the, handwriting was the same. One, of, the, cards, yielded, a, fingerprint. But a check in the National Fingerprint Database turned up nothing.

Is, this, one, of, your, motel, registrations? At, the, Sandman,, Motel,, they, got another

here, and, help, me, out, for, a, second. Glad, to., Detectives, discovered, that, his registration card listed a Camaro with its license plate number.

Okay,, now, [clears throat], I, see, a license number. But, a, second, license, number,, was written in the margin by the motel's owner.

Yes,, I, knew, that., I, wrote, that, number there. That's that's the correct number.

He, must, have, been, in, his, late, 70s,, early 80s. He went out every night around 3:00 in the morning and would take all of his motel registration slips and walk by all the cars and check their license plate numbers against what were put on the cards cuz he was so sure that his guests were going to steal a pillow or pillow case. When the owner checked the plates on Hagman's Camaro against his registration, the numbers didn't match. So he recorded the correct Kentucky plates in the margin of the card. A DMV search revealed the license plate in the Camaro were registered to a member of a prominent Louisville, Kentucky family.

The Salt Lake City detectives shared their discovery with detectives in Cincinnati.

Yeah,, this, is, Michael, Brian., How, you doing? They immediately responded to Louisville and made contact with the police agency there and tracked down the actual registered owner of this car. He had in fact sold the car to another person uh some months before.

White, male,, blackmail. The, Louisville, man, showed, detectives the sales receipt.

Police, took, down, the, name, of, the purchaser, the car's mileage, and its brand of tires. But their troubles weren't over. The purchaser had used a false name. The seller worked with a police sketch artist to render a composite of the buyer, a slender white man with a Kentucky accent. Back in Salt Lake City, Mickey and her roommate were also providing detectives with a composite sketch of the man who called himself Hagman. [clears throat] At the same time, I met with Mickey the part-time hook and her roommate. And her roommate was actually a a an artist, a student was studying art, and she did a freehand drawing to begin with. And then we asked her if she could work with our composite, and she did. And she put together a composite of this man.

Hey,, Ron., How's, it, going? How, you, doing,, Mark? All right., What, do, you, got?

When, the, composite, drawing, from Louisville arrived in Utah, detectives compared the two renderings. how we come today.

Good, morning. They, were, remarkably, similar. Investigators now had the face of the suspected serial killer. Investigators hunted a serial killer who had murdered two young African-Ameans in Cincinnati and two more in Salt Lake City. They now had a sketch of their suspect but lead detective Don Bell still had no name and no hard evidence connecting him with the murders.

We, didn't, have, anything, to, charge, him with. However, we did find a motel that he stayed here in Salt Lake for two nights. Since he left without paying, we immediately applied for a warrant uh which was granted and we charged him with defrauding an inkeeper or failure to pay. Uh, we issued that warrant under every single name that had been found on every single motel registration card.

The, FBI, entered, the, warrant,, the, license plate, and all of his aliases into the NCIC, the National Crime Information Center a computer database that links over 57,000 law agencies nationwide. On September 25th, 1980, over a month after the Salt Lake City murders, the FBI database paid off

when, officers, in, Boone, County,, Kentucky, arrived at a local motel to arrest a pair of jewelry thieves. The manager told them that one of his patrons was complaining about the lights and noise from their vehicles. seven, eight police cars in the parking lot with the red lights going and the radios blaring and and another person living in this motel took offense at being disturbed by all this noise and called the manager's office and said "What are the cops doing there? And how come it's so noisy? And you know, I'm going to leave if you don't quiet down."

And so the manager went out and approached u one of the Boone County officials and said, "You know, my tenant is really upset that you're causing all this trouble." When the sergeant asked who was complaining, the night manager told him that the calls were coming from room 80.

Perturbed,, the, sergeant, ran, the, license plate of the Camaro registered for the man in that room. The computer check tied into the FBI database turned up the warrant from Utah. Boone County Sheriff's went to room 80. A slender white male with a southern accent answered the door.

Inside,, officers, saw, two, shotguns, on, the bed. They cuffed him and brought him in for questioning. This time, the fugitive registered with his real name, Joseph Paul Franklin. They notified Salt Lake City investigators that they had their man. Detective Bell and his colleague were on the next plane to Kentucky. But when they arrived, Boone County Sheriffs had alarming news. The fugitive had escaped from his low security room. At some time during the interview uh the detective briefly leaves the room to get a something to drink for this subject and himself. And it's at that point that this individual makes his escape out the window and is gone.

Investigators still held his Camaro, his weapons, and wallet containing his driver's license and photo. Salt Lake City Detective Bell recalled how closely the photo matched the two composits. Looking at that license, it was almost eerie. It almost looked like that the composite that had been built in Kentucky and the composite that I built out here in Salt Lake that we had done it using Joseph Paul Franklin's driver's license. The suspected serial killer was still one step ahead.

The, FBI, issued, a, federal, warrant, for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

One, was, killed, right, at, the, scene. Investigators hoped the resources of the FBI could stop the killer before he struck again. The fugitive's face and description flooded the media nationwide. Agent Jensen spearheaded the manhunt for the FBI. He was almost immediately put on the 10 most wanted list because of the notoriety and because of the seriousness of the crime, the fact that he was a suspect not only in this uh crime, but in the the assassination of a number of black people all across the United States. These were cases that hadn't been solved.

To, make, the, most, wanted, fugitives, list, Franklin's file was reviewed among hundreds of others. Special agents at FBI headquarters decide the 10 most wanted based on a suspect's immediate danger to society. That the suspect won't stop killing until he's caught. News of the killer's escape brought a flurry of sightings, including one from a Kentucky teenager.

Anybody, give, me, a, ride,, man? He, said, a, man, had, offered, him, $100, to take him across the river to a shopping mall in Cincinnati. Investigators swarmed the mall to interview anyone who thought they'd seen him. They discovered the suspected serial killer had purchased new clothes and had his hair cut and dyed.

How, would, you, like, it? Franklin, had, changed, his, appearance, and still had a source of cash. Back in Kentucky, evidence technicians scoured the Camaro for clues. They took photos of its tires, hoping to match them with treadmarks found near the crime scene in Salt Lake City. They matched. For Detective Bell, it was a major breakthrough. The tires were sort of a new prototype that were only being released east of the Mississippi. So for tires to show in a dirt field in Salt Lake City, they would have had to have been purchased at that time east of the Mississippi that placed that car with that man in our city.

At the FBI Ballistics Lab in Washington DC, examiners analyzed the weapons Franklin had left behind. They hoped to determine that one of the guns was the murder weapon.

He, had, two, rifles, and, two, handguns., The FBI was able to compare the ballistics of these weapons with the bullets that were recovered from the victim's bodies. These did not match.

The, FBI, also, searched, the, NCIC, database for criminal records and outstanding warrants for Joseph Paul Franklin. They discovered that Franklin had legally changed his name. Have

some, more, information. What, do, you, got? Okay. His, birth, name,, was, James, Clayton Vaughn. The information allowed investigators to dig more deeply into his past.

Yep. Joseph Paul Franklin, a suspected serial killer targeting African-Amean men, had escaped from police in Kentucky and was still on the run.

The, FBI, had, determined, that, he, changed his name from James Clayton Vaughn. I don't, know if, there's, anything, I, can, add to him.

Agents, and, local, detectives, traced, his history to his hometown in Birdtown, Alabama. have to be there.

They, spoke, with, people, who, knew, him. For, Cincinnati, Detective, Michael, Bryant, a clearer picture of the fugitive started to emerge.

Birdtown, is, described, as, basically, one side of the track is black and the other side is white. And so there was a lot of racial tension in his upbringing. Uh there was a lot of uh problems between whites and blacks in that area. His mother had relatives that had been in World War II on the side of Nazi Germany. Franklin uh at one point had said he had read mine comp and was very impressed with this writing.

Joseph, Paul, Franklin, had, selected, his new name to honor one of his heroes, Hitler's chief propagandist Paul Joseph Gerbles. What Dave is

the, FBI, tracked, his, movements, over, the previous year and found that they coincided with several unsolved bank robberies.

That, That's, him., That's, That's, him. Agents, also, learned, that, two, years earlier he had sent a letter threatening to kill President Jimmy Carter because of his pro-ivil rights views.

The, president, was, currently, campaigning in the South where Franklin had last been spotted.

The, election, was, just, weeks, away., If Franklin was going to make good on this threat, it would be soon. Detective Bell remembers that the FBI and Secret Service rushed into action.

Well,, they, decided, that, Joseph, Paul Franklin, also James Clayton Vaughn, was definitely a threat to President Carter because he had written that he would like to kill him. So, they passed pictures of Joseph Paul Franklin in every city that the president was going to visit. The FBI had to get to Franklin before Franklin got to the president. We were able to through contacting his friends

determine, that, during, the, process, of, his flight, he, was, selling, his, blood, plasma, to obtain money to live on. And as a result of that, we sent bulletins out to all of the blood plasma centers in the southeastern part of the United States. Clinics across the south received packets from the FBI with information on the killer, now suspected of murder in at least seven states.

Miss, Jackson,, are, you, okay? I'm, just, so, dizzy. Okay,, lay, down, there, for, a, minute., It's going to take just a few minutes to

On, October, 28th,, Franklin, entered, a clinic in the Tampa area to sell his plasma.

In, kind, of, a, hurry. The, technician, prepping, him, recognized the tattoos from the FBI packet. The Grim Reaper and the American Eagle.

Is, this, your, first, time, giving, blood? Oh, my, gosh,, I'm, so, dizzy. Yes.

Franklin,, figured, selling, his blood was safer than robbery for a man on the run.

You'll, be, all, right., I, do, it, all, the time. He, was, wrong. There, he, is.

The, technician, phoned, the, number, the, FBI provided. Yeah., Okay,, great., I'll, keep, him, bus.

Federal, agents, surrounded, the, clinic, and moved in to arrest Franklin. This, time, there, would, be, no, mistakes.

Have, the, right, to, remain,, silent. The, killer, went, quietly, without, a, fight. for law.

Franklin, was, taken, to, Salt, Lake, City to stand trial for the murders of Ted Fields and David Martin.

But, Detective,, Bell, suddenly found the entire homicide case in jeopardy. The, county, attorney, didn't, feel, that, we had a strong enough case. It was purely circumstantial as far as he was concerned and he wasn't willing to go to court on on just a purely circumstantial case. But the federal government uh through the FBI decided to step in at that time and they felt that they had a very good strong case to bring civil rights violations against him. The civil rights conviction would present obstacles of its own.

Prosecutors would have to prove not only that he had committed the homicides in Utah, but that he was motivated out of racial hatred. The FBI held suspected serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin in Salt Lake City while federal prosecutors build a case to prove his murders were racially motivated. Agents reined his associates family and two ex-wives in order to get a clearer picture of Franklin's racial beliefs.

Agent, Jensen, sent, his, team, to, Franklin's hometown of Birdtown, Alabama. We were able to go back and meet with people that knew him and uh we were able to develop a a a history of him, if you will, as to what he was like. The fact that he had been associated with the uh Ku Klux Clan, he'd been associated with the American Nazi party. the fact that he had been arrested a number of times for disorderly conduct and in some instances because he possessed a weapon. Prosecutors pursued witnesses who could testify to Franklin's whereabouts and his racist views.

At one motel, a manager agreed to speak at trial about his encounter with Franklin. The police had found a motel where he had stayed before the shooting took place and he'd gone and register he'd registered in the office and then he went to the room, pulled down the covers and found a black hair in the in the bed. This upset him greatly. And so he uh became irate, went to back to the office and yelled and screamed and and made a number of racial statements against black people.

Wherever, they, went,, investigators, found witnesses who remembered Franklin's car. Assistant US attorney Steve Snar recalls that Franklin's Camaro proved crucial to his case.

The, car, that, Mr., Franklin, was, driving was unique. It had a unique color. It had red pin striping that was a custom kind of striping. It also had unique interior features and uh non-standard tires and other features that were noticeable to various witnesses who had observed the car in the Salt Lake area.

And, he, pulled, up, and the, investigative, team, also, interviewed two young women who had ridden in Franklin's Camaro. It's really scraggly.

We, came, up, with, two, girls, uh, a, lady, by the name of Sandra and another one by the name of Rhonda

who, actually, at, 4:00, 4:304, to, 5, on, the day of the killing were hitchhiking a couple of blocks away from the park. Uh this man in the Camaro picked them up and they needed to get to the downtown bank to deposit their paycheck before it closed at 5. As they got in the car, Franklin asked them if black people hung out in the park. One of the girls who was dating a black man said yes. Before he dropped them off, he handed them printed cards that said, "Take off your clothes." Bel sent the cards to the FBI lab, and examiners were able to conclusively match them to similar cards found in the glove compartment of Franklin's Camaro.

The timing of the women's story was also compelling. They, actually, saw, him, again, that, night, a block and a half away from the park at 8:30. So, little by little, we're putting him almost in the park at the same time the victims were.

At, the, Salt, Lake, County, Jail,, Franklin was held in a double lockup since he had previously escaped from police custody. close.

While, there,, he, became, friendly, with Robert Herrera, an inmate serving time for burglary. Herrera had more recently been disciplined for brawling with a black inmate. Although the fight was not racially motivated, Franklin assumed Herrera held the same hatred of African-Ameans.

He, looked, to, Herrera, as, a, confidant. Agent Jensen recalls the importance of this relationship.

He, told, Aerrera,, he, confessed, to, Herrera that he had shot the two joggers in Salt Lake City and also confessed to a homicide in Oklahoma City.

Herrera, arranged, a, meeting, with, the, FBI and local investigators. He had a proposition for them. How's it going?

Herrera, would, become, a, federal, witness against Franklin if the state would guarantee his early release.

Franklin, told, Herrera, why, he, shot, the couples in Liberty Park. He said he believed people of different races should never mix. When Franklin saw the black men walking with white girls in the park, he felt they should die.

Investigators, were, not, convinced, they could trust Herrera. A confession to a convict would not ensure a successful prosecution.

You, know,, we, we've, got, one, phone,, two people. We have we have to coordinate out here, too.

When, investigators, requested, more information, Herrera told him about Franklin's whereabouts following the Salt Lake City murders.

Well,, I, can, tell, you, what, he, did, after the shootings. He did the shootings. He left here. He went north to a town north of Salt Lake Ogden. He took the freeway across Nevada through Winnamaka, Battle Mountain, Reno, and into San Francisco. And he sold the rifle that he killed the kids at a flea market outside of the Bay Area.

Agents, and, local, investigators, needed, to confirm Herrera's story. If they could find the rifle Franklin had used in Liberty Park investigators would have the piece they were missing. Right.

Detective, Bell, sent, his, team, to, the, flea market outside San Francisco. They, interviewed, gun, dealers, and, other witnesses.

So, they, saturated, the, flea, market, and they did come up with witnesses who remembered Joseph Paul Franklin and remembered that he was selling guns. But we could never find the gun. Even without the weapon, Herrera's story was confirmed. Franklin's movements following the murders would be critical for the prosecution.

Well,, this, was, pretty, good, information cuz we'd never been able, the FBI ourselves, no one had ever been able to find out where Mr. Franklin had gone after doing the killing.

After, agents, corroborated, his, story, they met with Herrera again. He told investigators about other crimes Franklin confessed to.

Franklin, admitted, shooting, Hustler publisher Larry Flint, crippling him in 1977 for portraying black men with white women in his magazine. Franklin also said he shot Vernon Jordan, the president of the National Urban League in May of 1980. Federal prosecutors felt they had enough to bring the civil rights case to trial. Well, the prosecution was an involved prosecution involving 65 witnesses and approximately 100 different exhibits. Uh, however, we uh managed to expedite the case and move things along and telling our story and recreating the actions and uh things that took place.

Uh, the trial lasted 5 days and we were done. The jury deliberated just 5 hours, finding Joseph Paul Franklin guilty of the federal civil rights violations against you.

The, judge, sentenced, him, to, two, life terms. Your, innocence. Franklin, was, furious, that, he, was, going to prison for the rest of his life, but more so because an Africaname prosecutor helped put him there. Stand for that. In a rage, Franklin jumped out of his chair and threw water on the attorney.

He, was, quickly, subdued, by, the, marshals and carted away. In, an, interview, following, his sentencing, Franklin finally admitted to investigators what motivated the killings in Utah and across the country.

Could, have, killed, somebody., He, said himself that he is a racist, that he had a plan to assassinate as many blacks as he could. This was his whole purpose. After the successful federal trial, the Salt Lake County prosecutor felt he could win a state homicide case against Franklin. Franklin was escorted to the courthouse where he had spent the last two months during the federal trial. During a recess, he was left unattended in a holding room. Before the court officer returned, he freed himself and pried the door off its hinges.

Franklin had escaped. No, one, knew, how, he, had, escaped, from, the holding cell. But when the jailers went to bring him back into court before the jury came in, he wasn't in the conference room. Jeff. Jeff.

It, looked, as, if, Joseph, Paul, Franklin, was free once again to continue his path of terror.

The, elevator, was, his, only, way, out, and only operable with a guard's key. But, a, marshall, found, the, control, panel dismantled. Franklin had hotwired it using only a dime and a paper clip. He was able to take the plate off the elevator, the prisoner elevator, and strip the wires and call the elevator to that floor. And then he disappeared. Police closed off the streets as jailers searched the courthouse for the fugitive.

The, rest, of, us,, we, immediately, put, out an areawide alert that this man had escaped, and we brought every available officer there was scouring the downtown area. At the same time, the jailer decided that maybe he'd noticed that the top panel on the elevator had been loosened. So, he climbed up on top of the elevator and noticed some movement in the dust and thought, "Well somehow he's in this building." So, that particular jailer started crawling every single air duct in the courthouse. He found them. Get away from me. Franklin scured like a rat in the duct work, always remaining out of his reach.

Coming, out, the, other, end. I, got, him. But, when, Franklin, came, to, the, end, of, the duct, a second guard was waiting.

Got, your, bracelets, right, here. He, was,, back, in, custody, within, an hour.

That's, it. Get, him, out, of, here., We, cleaned, him, off and combed his hair and brought him back in. And the jury was none the wiser. They just got an extra hour for lunch. Over his next 17 years in prison, Franklin confessed to 16 murders in eight states. In all that time, he never admitted to the double homicide in Cincinnati.

Hi, Detective, Mike, O'Brien, never, gave, up. He, continued, to, build, his, case,, hoping to convict Franklin of the Cincinnati murders. You

recognize, this, individual?, No,, sir. O'Brien's, break, came, when, he, was, able, to convince Franklin to interview with Melissa Powers, an assistant district attorney from Cincinnati.

The, minute, that, Mr., Franklin, walked, in the room and sat down, and Miss Powers introduced herself, told him who he who she was, why she was there, he said "You know, I did it. I killed those two kids in Cincinnati." immediately as he sat down, which was what I've been trying to get him to do for some 17 years, he did in a matter of about 30 seconds. In 1998, Franklin received two more life sentences for the Cincinnati murders. In Missouri, he was sentenced to death for two others. Franklin would never have another opportunity to escape.

Detective Don Bell remained haunted by Franklin's rampage of violence. I don't understand this type of killer that he would actually just take a complete stranger and because of their race and who they were standing by or talking to, he would feel it necessary to kill him. He's one of those those few people that I just have absolutely no explanation for. And uh I it's it's still hard for me to understand. For the families of Franklin's victims peace had finally come. Franklin would never be free to kill again.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "The Racist Sniper Who Tried to Start a War | The FBI Files"?

Jim Calstrom (Host), Steve Snar (Guest), Curtis Jensen (Guest), Don Bell (Guest), Mickey (Guest), Joseph Paul Franklin (Guest).

What is "The Racist Sniper Who Tried to Start a War | The FBI Files" about?

The narrative explores a chilling series of racially motivated sniper attacks in Utah during the 1980s, where the killer targeted African-American men in unprovoked shootings, prompting a nationwide manhunt by the FBI. Despite the urgency of the investigation and eyewitness accounts of the chaos that ensued during the attacks, authorities struggled with minimal evidence and a lack of witnesses…

What is mentioned in this The FBI Files episode?

23 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Benny (grandson of Benjamin Franklin), Don Bell, FBI, David Martin, Ted Fields, Salt Lake City, Utah. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "The Racist Sniper Who Tried to Start a War | The FBI Files"?

The episode runs 50 min; the transcript is about 6,921 words in 150 timestamped sections.

More from The FBI Files

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 25, 2026.