In the year 1957,
Franklin Matone Jr., a 28-year-old bank teller
at Valley National Bank in Tucson, Arizona,
lived a modest life in the shadow of his wealthy New Jersey origins.
Known for his kind nature and dry sense of humor,
Franklin embraced the Arizona lifestyle, carving his own path away from his family's affluence.
However, his life took a sinister turn during a weekend stay at his friends' house,
culminating in a horrifying murder that remains unsolved to this day.
On the weekend of May 3rd to 5th,
Franklin accepted an invitation from his friends, the Whitesides,
to stay at their home on West Anklam Road near Gates Pass.
The Whitesides planned to visit family, leaving Franklin alone in their house.
They returned on the evening of May 5th and spent hours chatting with Franklin
before he decided to head back to his own home.
Little did anyone know that it would be the last time Franklin was seen alive.
When Franklin failed to show up for work the next day,
his supervisor, John Whiteside, grew concerned.
He visited Franklin's apartment and made a shocking discovery.
Franklin was found lying lifeless in his bedroom,
his wrists bound to the bedposts with a nylon cord.
The cord extended up to his neck, tightly looped and tied underneath his chin.
The room bore no signs of struggle, with the lights left on and the TV still playing.
However, Franklin's belongings, including his keys, wallet, and watch, were missing.
The investigation into Franklin's murder presented perplexing clues.
The 68-foot-long cord used to bind him was traced to a manufacturer in Los Angeles,
but attempts to find any link to Franklin's acquaintances proved fruitless.
Investigators interviewed witnesses and residents of the apartment complex,
and one woman claimed to have heard a loud noise resembling a gunshot
between 9:55 to 10:30 PM on the night in question.
Further examination revealed lipstick stains on Franklin's shirts,
raising suspicions of a romantic rendezvous gone awry.
However, no concrete motive could be established,
leaving investigators at a standstill.
Despite initial efforts, the case went cold,
and Franklin's tragic fate seemed destined to remain unsolved.
Years later, in 2018,
Franklin's niece, Laurie, stumbled upon a letter written by her grandmother recounting Franklin's murder. Determined to seek justice,
Laurie contacted the police and filed a FOIA request, only to be initially informed that the case files were lost. However, a detective later contacted her,
revealing the discovery of two boxes of files in the Cold Case storage room.
This development prompted the reopening of the investigation,
including a search warrant executed on the homes of two original suspects.
Despite these efforts,
the truth behind Franklin Matone Jr.'s murder eluded investigators once again.
The case remains shrouded in mystery, fading from public memory over time.
Franklin's family and friends, most of whom have since passed away,
continue to seek closure and answers regarding the identity of his killer on that fateful spring evening in 1957.
The Mysterious Murder of Franklin Matone Jr. stands as a haunting reminder of a cold case that defies resolution,
leaving behind only whispers of a forgotten tragedy that still echoes
in the depths of history.
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