In May 2022, Antwan Franklin was the “mastermind” of a scheme to rob and murder Du’Vonta Lampkin at his Airbnb in Downtown Dallas. He was automatically sentenced to life in prison.
-
-
Antwan Franklin was on trial for capital murder for the death of former NFL and Oklahoma football player Du’Vonta Lampkin in May 2022.
-
Prosecutors have painted Franklin as the “mastermind” behind the robbery and murder.
-
He took the stand in his own defense on Thursday morning and claimed he only told others to steal from Lampkin, but said he didn’t intend for them to hurt him.
-
Franklin received an automatic life sentence.
-
-
Antwan Franklin was on trial for capital murder for the death of former NFL and Oklahoma football player Du’Vonta Lampkin in May 2022.
-
Prosecutors have painted Franklin as the “mastermind” behind the robbery and murder.
-
He took the stand in his own defense on Thursday morning and claimed he only told others to steal from Lampkin, but said he didn’t intend for them to hurt him.
-
Franklin received an automatic life sentence.
Former football star Du’Vonta Lampkin’s mother, Vanessa Lampkin, confronts the guy found guilty of his capital murder.
DallasAfter being convicted of capital murder, the man Dallas prosecutors said was the mastermind behind the 2022 murder of a University of Oklahoma football player will serve the remainder of his life behind bars.
Three males were taken into custody in connection with the robbery and killing of Du’Vonta Lampkin, including Antwan Franklin.
In court on Thursday, the victim’s relatives confronted the murderer of their loved ones, telling Franklin that he had destroyed not just their lives but also his own.
Antwan Franklin, the guy suspected of killing former football player Du’Vonta Lampkin in Dallas in 2022, is sentenced by a court after reading the verdict.
After just a few hours of deliberation, the jury returned their decision on Thursday afternoon.
Antwan Franklin received an automatic life sentence from the judge right away.
Antwan Franklin takes the stand
Franklin was charged by prosecutors with being the “mastermind” of a plot to rob and murder Lampkin in his Airbnb in Downtown Dallas in May 2022.
A man who authorities believe is Erick Garcia, the second suspect, and another man were seen on surveillance footage entering the apartment complex and waiting for Lampkin in the stairway.
Prosecutors claim that Garcia can be seen rushing out of the building with Lampkin’s backpack forty seconds later. A day later, Lampkin’s companion discovered him dead.
He admitted to buying and selling marijuana as a side gig when he testified in his own defense on Thursday morning. That’s how he knew Lampkin, he added.
Franklin Antwan
Franklin stated that he informed Garcia that Lampkin was carrying a backpack containing roughly $20,000 in cash. He claimed that Garcia had threatened him and that he owed him $1,200.
Franklin claimed he anticipated that while Lampkin was out, Garcia and a third man, John Williams, would break into the Airbnb where he was staying and take his money.
“I was trying to just make him, make his like after me being threatened I was just trying to make everything go well as planned so it could make him happy but not get no one hurt,” stated the man.
Franklin informed the jury that at the time of the murder, he was not upstairs in Lampkin’s Airbnb. He stated he hoped no one was wounded when he took an Uber home.
Lampkin, Du’Vonta
Prosecutors, however, questioned Franklin during cross-examination over social media exchanges between him and Garcia that made repeated references to a heist, his share of the $20,000, and the need to wait for Lampkin to arrive.
Franklin was also questioned by prosecutors about why it appeared that he was making decisions based on the communications.
Franklin insisted that he was the one under duress and that he didn’t want anyone to be harmed.
Closing Arguments
Closing arguments are presented by the defense and the prosecution in Antwan Franklin’s trial for Du’Vonta Lampkin’s capital murder. In 2022, retired football player Lampkin was murdered in Downtown Dallas.
On Thursday afternoon, the case was turned over to the jury after the concluding arguments from both parties.
Jurors were informed by the prosecution that it makes no difference whether Franklin was the shooter or not. He is still legally liable.
As you are already aware, Antwon Franklin organized a heist in which John Williams and Eric Garcia followed Du Vonta Lampkin into his Airbnb and robbed him. Additionally, he was murdered during that heist,” the prosecutor stated. “I m still responsible for what happens and what my other co-defendants do in furtherance of my plan.”
The defense contended that the state had not established Franklin’s intent to murder Lampkin and that there was no proof that any of the parties involved in the case had firearms.
The defense lawyer stated, “Their intent was to steal money and steal drugs,” “After that, we don t know what they did.”
“I believe it’s pretty clear that he planned that heist on purpose. It’s pretty clear to me that Du Vonta died from a gunshot wound. In this scenario, how do we know what’s happening? Lead prosecutor Jacob Zachariah said, “I showed you guys on the door locks, and it was a quick thing.”
He went over the timeline once more and instructed the jurors to apply common sense and draw a logical conclusion from the evidence.
Victim Impact Statement
In May 2022, Antwan Franklin was the “mastermind” of a scheme to rob and murder Du’Vonta Lampkin at his Airbnb in Downtown Dallas. He was automatically sentenced to life in prison.
Following the verdict, every juror remained to listen to the victim impact statement. As Lampkin’s mother took the stand, some people started crying.
“You took something from me that I cherished. For 952 days, I have suffered,” said Vanessa Lampkin. “You knew he could give you anything if you asked because he had a heart of gold. But you took that.”
FOX 4 spoke to both parents, Vanessa and Eddie Lampkin, after the trial was finished.
“He ruined his family, and my family’s life, and he has to live with that for the rest of his life,” Vanessa said.
“I m happy to see justice,” Eddie said. “A whole lot of closure.”
What happened on the first day of testimony?
On Wednesday, the second man was charged with the capital murder of Du’Vonta Lampkin, a football player from North Texas.
The state presented the jury with social media messages as proof on the first day of testimony, claiming that they demonstrated that Franklin collaborated with Garcia to rob and murder Lampkin.
Franklin was aware that Lampkin had large sums of money on him from allegedly distributing marijuana, according to the prosecution.
“This whole affair was put up by Antwan. Lead prosecutor Jacob Zachariah stated, “You will see Instagram messages between Erik Garcia and Antwan Franklin that set up this robbery.” “Antwan set up this robbery so that he too could profit off of it.”
Suspect was ‘mastermind’ behind Du’Vonta Lampkin’s murder, prosecutors say
The suspect in the Dallas capital murder prosecution of former NFL and OU football player Du Vonta Lampkin started testifying on Wednesday.
The Backstory
The murder of Lampkin was highlighted on FOX 4’s Trackdown.
The segment’s video showed two males walking inside the Downtown Dallas Airbnb where Lampkin was staying.
Lampkin’s rucksack containing thousands of dollars in cash is seen being taken by one man as he leaves.
Trackdown: Help find Duvonta Lampkins’ killer
Two fresh pieces of evidence have been added to the body of the police investigation into the death of a former University of Oklahoma football player in a Dallas apartment.
According to the police, Franklin had hung out with Lampkin prior to the incident and knew him on some level.
Following his imprisonment and bond release, Franklin vanished for over a year. This summer, he made a second appearance on Trackdown.
In July, U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force Officer B.K. Nelson told FOX 4 that “he cut his ankle monitor off in June of 2023.”
Franklin was in an SUV when a woman in Mesquite fled from police attempting to apprehend him that same month.
However, a viewer of the show on FOX 4 called the U.S. Marshals, and Richardson police apprehended Franklin at an apartment building.
Dallas County jury acquits man of OU football player s murder
On May 5, 20222, John Williams was found not guilty of shooting and killing 25-year-old Du vonta Lampkin during a failed heist. There are still two suspects pending trial.
At the time of the trial, Williams, the third suspect named, was also taken into custody. He was implicated in the crime by Franklin.
However, the judge ruled a mistrial as Williams’ trial got underway. Additionally, he was found not guilty when the case went to trial a second time.
Garcia’s trial has not yet taken place.
Who was Du’Vonta Lampkin?
Following his murder in a Downtown Dallas apartment, the family of a former football player for the University of Oklahoma is in mourning.
Lampkin briefly played for the Tennessee Titans after three years of playing for the University of Oklahoma. When he was killed, he was in the middle of returning home to North Texas.
His best buddy, who went to check on him, spoke on the stand on Wednesday about discovering his body.
He testified that his girlfriend at the time, who wasn’t in the flat with him, had to contact 911 because he was so upset.
“When I entered, he was already dead. He had passed away. Blood on the floor, eyes open. Devonaire Clarington declared, “He was dead.”
What’s Next?
Neither Franklin’s family nor his attorney spoke to reporters after the trial. He will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Garcia is expected to go on trial for capital murder before the end of the year.
Athird man who was arrested, John Williams,was ultimately found not guilty.
-
Statements made throughout the trial and previous news coverage provided the information for this story.
Statements made throughout the trial and previous news coverage provided the information for this story.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
