An Oklahoma dentist accused of causing fatal skull fractures to his mistress's 19-month-old son was charged Monday in a new felony case- with conspiring to have her killed so she couldn't testify against him.
Bert Franklin, 36, was set to face trial Monday in the death of his mistress Roxanne Lewis's son, Lincoln Von Henry Lewis. Prosecutors allege Franklin caused the deadly head injuries to the child on July 16, 2016, inside the Lewis' Oklahoma City residence, according to
OK News.
The trial was continued after prosecutors charged him with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, after they say he solicited fellow inmates to kill the boy's mother. She is the key witness in her son's murder case.
The inmates Franklin allegedly solicited were working with law enforcement as confidential informants in unrelated cases.
He has been held without bail in the Oklahoma County jail since July 2016, as he is considered a flight risk after losing his dental practice over the toddler's murder charge according to
Koco News.
In August, Franklin approached the first informant about 'the possibility of killing a witness in the murder case,' an investigator with the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office wrote in a court affidavit.
This past week, prosecutors allege Franklin gave 'step-by-step driving instructions' to Randall's house to a second informant as well as information on her home security cameras.
Prosecutors allege Franklin had $300 transferred to a third inmate's account, which was to be used as 'compensation for the murder,' according to the affidavit.
His defense attorney says Franklin denies the new allegations. Franklin also has denied harming Randall's son.
Randall had been in a secret relationship with the married dentist for about a year.
CCTV footage allegedly captured him slamming her son Lincoln's head into the ground, making a kicking motion, then carrying the child while nonchalantly getting himself a piece of pizza.
Bert Franklin, 35, was arrested and charged in 2016 with first-degree murder in the death of 19-month-old Lincoln Van Henry Lewis.
When Roxanne realized her son was unresponsive she took him to Mercy Hospital, where he was diagnosed with skull fractures.
Surveillance video was later released which gives a clue to the horrific last moments of baby Lincoln's life.
The footage showed Franklin walking down the stairs at the home of his Ms Randall, with Lincoln in his arms.
At that point, the baby looked alert and awake.
Franklin then disappeared out of view into the living room.
It is unclear what happened next but an Oklahoma City detective told the court she believes the video showed the dentist slamming the child head first into the ground.
Franklin was then seen kicking towards something on the floor which is not visible.
When he walked back into the kitchen, in view of the camera, the child is limp in his arms. Franklin seems unaffected and casually grabbed a piece of pizza from the box on the side, Lincoln's limp legs dangling.
The boy's mother only noticed something was wrong after she tried to wake Lincoln up around 2am to feed.
At that point, she discovered her son unresponsive and rushed him to hospital.
Due to the severity of his injuries, the child was later flown to a Tulsa hospital where he passed away, according to police.
A doctor who initially treated Lincoln in Oklahoma City called police because the toddler's injuries were consistent with abuse, according to a press release cited by
Tulsa World.
.
An autopsy that was performed in the wake of the child's death found that Lincoln had severe swelling and trauma to his brain, as well as hemorrhaging in both eyes caused by a pair of skull fractures.
Roxanne told police that on July 17, 2016, she was downstairs in her home in the 14800 block of Gravity Falls when she heard a loud 'thud' from an upstairs bedroom, where Franklin and Lincoln were alone at the time.
Franklin later told his girlfriend that the noise she heard was with from a small ball he was throwing to a puppy.
According to Roxanne, her boyfriend hated Lincoln's biological father and had threatened to kill him, 'skin him in Bricktown' and cut off his penis,
Fox 25 reported.
She also claimed that Franklin recently had begun to exhibit 'controlling behavior.' Investigators stated in Franklin's arrest warrant that his wife and his mistress were not aware of one another's existence.
Detectives said when they interviewed Bert Franklin, they found his story to be inconsistent with the evidence in the case.
Franklin later surrendered and is set to stand trial for murder starting September 25, 2017.
Prosecutors told the judge at the bail hearing that Franklin would be a flight risk because he's lost everything after the case - including his Tulsa dental practice.