Murder in Oregon

Murder in Oregon

In January of 1989 the director of Oregon’s Department of Corrections, Michael Francke, was brutally stabbed to death outside his office in Salem. The murder was quickly ruled a “car burglary gone wrong” and pinned on a low-level drug dealer named Frank Gable, a man who Francke's own brother, Kevin, along with storied Oregon reporter Phil Stanford, believe has been wrongfully imprisoned for nearly 30 years. They believe Francke had uncovered a trail of corruption in the prison system— one that ledto the top of Oregon’s political establishment. Murder In Oregon follows the two men on a decades-long journey, bordering on obsession, into Oregon’s drug and crime-infested underworld to answer one question: Who really killed Michael Francke?

Episodes

March 6, 2025 42 mins

The final episode, subject to future updates, of Murder on Songbird Road invites listeners and former interviewees to reflect on their thoughts and opinions regarding the case against Julia Bevely. Additionally, Bevely's legal team provides an update on the current status of her appeal process.

Email us with thoughts, suggestions or tips at investigatingmurder@iheartmedia.com

CONTACTS:

The Illinois Attorney Gene...

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Bob and Lauren return to Marion, knocking on doors once again. This time, however, they uncover crucial footage that reveals significant flaws in the investigation’s hasty rush to judgment.

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February 20, 2025 46 mins

The infamous Huck’s footage exposes critical flaws in the prosecution’s theory, reinforced by a criminologist’s analysis of stabbing murders—setting the stage for Innocence activist Jason Flom to intervene and alter the course of Bevely’s legal battle.

Email us with thoughts, suggestions or tips at investigatingmurder@iheartmedia.com

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February 13, 2025 45 mins

The access to the interrogation video and the collection of Bevely’s DNA raise concerns about official protocol and the broader objectives of the investigation. Additionally, the prosecution’s influence on the case comes under scrutiny.

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February 6, 2025 42 mins

The State’s Attorney claimed Bevely’s account of encountering an armed assailant was proven false within days of the murder but a closer look into call records raises questions about other possible suspects.

Wrongful Conviction Podcast Episodes:

Julie Rae

Michelle Murphy

Melissa Lucio

Email us with thoughts, suggestions or tips at investigatingmurder@iheartmedia.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...

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January 30, 2025 45 mins

The family of Jade’s father share their remembrances of a life tragically ended and thoughts on the woman they believe took it. Speculation as to what could have motivated the murder takes an unlikely turn, leading to Salem, Massachusetts.

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January 23, 2025 42 mins

Weeks after she was arrested for the murder of her step-daughter, Julia Bevely realized she was expecting her fourth child. Her subsequent treatment during pregnancy, birth and postpartum as a pre-trial detainee remain, next to the murder, the most disturbing aspects of the case.

Email us with thoughts, suggestions or tips at investigatingmurder@iheartmedia.com.

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January 16, 2025 40 mins

The day of the sentencing, Bob and Lauren retrace the route Julia Bevely claims to have taken the morning of the murder with surprising results. Her increasingly polarizing fate is then decided in a packed Marion courtroom filled with contrasting emotions.

Email us with thoughts, suggestions or tips at investigatingmurder@iheartmedia.com.

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January 9, 2025 38 mins

Bob and Lauren connect in Marion, Illinois for Julia Bevely’s sentencing. Through a jailhouse visit with Bevely- and interviews with her family- a narrative emerges that is at odds with key elements of the prosecution theory in terms of the murder and the woman convicted of having committed it. 

Email us with thoughts, suggestions or tips at investigatingmurder@iheartmedia.com.

 

See omnystu...

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January 2, 2025 36 mins

Just days after the murder, the Williamson County State’s Attorney announced the death of Jade Beasley- and the arrest of Julia Bevely- in the same press conference. He claimed a thorough investigation had already been conducted, but glaring questions remain to this day. 

Email us with thoughts, suggestions or tips at investigatingmurder@iheartmedia.com.

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January 2, 2025 39 mins

On December 5th of 2020, a blended family was ripped apart when police responded to a 911 call placed from a rural area in Marion, Illinois. At the scene, they would find an 11-year-old girl, brutally murdered and her hysterical 32-year old stepmother. 

Email us with thoughts, suggestions or tips at investigatingmurder@iheartmedia.com.

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December 26, 2024 3 mins

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May 10, 2023 13 mins

Kevin Francke and Phil Stanford join Lauren Bright Pacheco to share the news that Frank Gable, who was wrongly convicted of killing Oregon Corrections Director Michael Francke, has been completely exonerated as of Monday, May 8, 2023. They also discuss the reality that the murder of Michael Francke remains unsolved- and his real killers have never been brought to justice.

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January 19, 2023 2 mins

In the 1980s crime journalist Phil Stanford dove into the decadent and dangerous world of Miami just as the city was becoming the cocaine- and murder- capital of the United States. His path would place him in the crosshairs of a federal investigation focusing on a mysterious and controversial drug smuggling pilot who claimed to be an operative of the American government- all while flaunting his extensive illicit activity. Murder in...

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September 30, 2022 4 mins

Three years ago the Murder in Oregon podcast posed the question ‘Who Killed Micheal Francke?’ and on September 29th, 2022 a court answered: NOT the man who was convicted of his murder and spent nearly 30 years in prison. Reactions from journalist Phil Stanford and Michael Francke's brothers.

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July 1, 2021 3 mins

Trailer 2 - On July 8th, we re-examine a case that’s been tightly closed to shed light on whether Christopher Vaughn was justly charged, tried and convicted- and explore whether pertinent facts and later developments that could have been utilized in his defense were overlooked or ignored.

 

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June 22, 2021 3 mins

Trailer 1 - In 2007, Chris Vaughn was arrested during a funeral for his wife and three children. He would be tried and convicted of their murders. To this day he maintains no memory of what occurred that tragic day 14 years ago. Murder in Illinois follows the complicated circumstances that led to Vaughn’s conviction, as well as the forensic evidence his supporters believe proves his innocence-in attempt to answer one question: Who ...

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January 9, 2020 40 mins

In the final episode of Murder in Oregon, Phil, the Francke brothers and Mike’s friends and colleagues share their thoughts on Michael Francke, his murder and the individuals who’ve avoided justice for the past thirty years.

 

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January 2, 2020 42 mins

The past ten episodes have been driven by the question: Who killed Michael Francke? Here is a recapitulation of the players, timeline, evidence covered... And a huge development regarding Frank Gable’s fight for freedom.

 

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December 26, 2019 33 mins

Throughout this podcast we've seen the victimization of people caught in the crosshairs of politics and corruption. Lives twisted or destroyed by those with great power and little accountability. This episode addresses one of the darkest political scandals in Oregon's history - a woman deeply damaged as a result of a childhood disrupted, by a man who became one of the most powerful men in Oregon...and how that scandal played into t...

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