Florida man gets life without parole, in stabbing death of his three-year-old son
In an unbelievably horrific and heart-breaking crime that dates back to March 2019, a Florida man in Okaloosa County was found guilty in the stabbing murder of his three-year-old son. According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO,) on March 15, 2019, Frederick Franken Sr., 61, stabbed his baby boy to death, then laid down on the floor next to his son and stabbed himself several times. The father survived his self-inflicted stab wounds.
Adding to the macabre nature of the murder, Franken had sent his wife photos of their three-year-old child throughout the day. He also emptied his bank account and mailed his cell phone to his daughter who was living outside of the country. When Franken’s wife returned to the couple’s home after work, she discovered her son and husband on the floor. Her son, who had been stabbed multiple times, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The father survived after being transported to a local hospital. Officials recovered a steak knife at the scene. The child’s mother told OCSO investigators the couple was experiencing marital difficulties and she had recently told her husband she wanted a divorce.
By March 23, 2019, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office had charged Franken with the premeditated murder of his toddler son.
It took four years, but on April 26, 2023, Frederick Franken, Sr., entered a plea of no contest to the charge of First-Degree Premeditated Murder in the death of his son. Circuit Judge Terrance R. Ketchel sentenced Franken to a mandatory prison sentence of life without parole.
Following the sentencing, Assistant State Attorney Michelle Sandler, who prosecuted the case, said: “Justice prevailed for the victim. The hard work of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office ensured that the State Attorney could guarantee that Mr. Franken will spend the rest of his life in prison for his horrific actions in taking the life of his own child.”
(Sources: OCSO, and, the Office of State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit of Florida)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
