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Maria Spencer’s Vow to Kill | Full Episode

November 07, 2023 / 42:02

This episode covers the murder of Frank Spencer, the involvement of his ex-wife Maria Spencer, and her father Rocco Franklin. Key discussions include the timeline of events leading to Frank's murder, the history of domestic disputes, and the investigation that followed.

Frank Spencer was found dead in his home in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, in July 2012. Friends describe him as a caring individual who was deeply involved with his children. His ex-wife Maria, who had a tumultuous relationship with him, became a prime suspect shortly after his death.

The episode details Maria's threats against Frank and the escalating tensions between them, particularly after their divorce proceedings. Frank's friends recount incidents of harassment and intimidation from Maria, which were reported to the police but not adequately addressed.

Investigators uncovered evidence linking Maria and Rocco to the crime scene, including DNA and a history of threats. The episode culminates in the arrest and trial of both Maria and Rocco, highlighting the failures of law enforcement to protect Frank despite numerous warnings.

Ultimately, Maria was convicted of Frank's murder and sentenced to life in prison, while Rocco was also found guilty and received a lengthy sentence. The episode reflects on the tragic outcomes of domestic violence and the systemic failures that allowed it to escalate.

TLDR

Frank Spencer's murder reveals a tragic tale of domestic violence involving his ex-wife Maria and her father Rocco.

Episode

42:02
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[Music] the week before Frank was murdered we were at a go-kart race Frank would be running all these
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cars and it got so competitive and they loved it he couldn't quit a real competitor yeah
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he really he just he the quit wasn't in him Frank Spencer was he was like a big teddy
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bear if he knew you he'd cut a leg off get up and ask if you need anything else he was one of a kind great
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person outstanding friend I've talked to at least five of Frank's friends who've all told me they
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were Frank's best friend I think that speaks volumes about who Frank Spencer was Peter this is the Frank Spencer
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residence uh the scene of the murder really unchanged since 2012 can you take me inside sure let's
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go Frank Spencer's body was right here on these tiles oh my is that remnants of his blood here it
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is we didn't have to ask each other we knew knew we knew it was Maria we didn't know who else might have been involved
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but we knew it was her Maria Spencer to me is a classic fem fatal an attractive woman a seductress who when a man
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becomes involved with her this is going to end poorly how would I describe her as a terrorist you keeping with me cuz
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I'm not with you I mean it's done it was a campaign of Terror Frank is afraid of
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Maria and he's also afraid of Roco Franklin Roco Franklin's Maria Spencer's father everybody knew who Rocco was I'm
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a street guy Roco everybody calls me rock what was the reputation of Roco the mythology of Roco in the community he
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was a hitman he would do things for people he was had some type of association with the mob I'm not a
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violent guy no I don't mind breaking somebody legs but they deserve it this was not simply a murder
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case Frank told me where it was going to happen was going to be at his house she said you're going to get shot
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in the head and she told him that I think she was an emotionally troubled woman who did not want to be
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divorced if you could picture somebody screaming help help help and everybody's just standing around watching that's
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what the situation was like was he a dead man walking absolutely in his opinion yes you w win unless I let you in he
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understand you don't win sper how could this all happen if you made this into a movie
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tomorrow nobody believe it actually happened [Music] [Music] I was working on a go
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uh we're right in the middle of a big series we were trying to win it was July 3rd 2012 in the once
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easygoing town of Bloomsburg Pennsylvania a Tuesday Joe yodok Frank Spencer's lifelong friend hadn't heard
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from him since Saturday and I had been texting him cuz we had issues we had to work on with the go-karts Joe and Frank
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raced go-karts together for years with their kids and so that morning Joe went went looking to find his missing buddy
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I'll never forget it I was pulling down the driveway and I thought man I hope I don't find him dead when Joe found Frank
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lying on the floor it took him a moment to process what he was seeing and he had
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this look of Peace calmness that he hadn't had in a long time uh I stepped over his legs and I
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noticed what looked like dried blood in his ear now I realized what happened and
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then he wasn't alive this loss of somebody you knew from the time you were in kindergarten can you put that in
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words nope it was a tragedy but not a mystery for Frank's loved ones most suspected Maria Spencer Frank's former
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wife who had officially become his ex-wife just 3 weeks before the murder Maria didn't want the divorce and the
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proceedings had been drawn out and contentious very contentious you could tell there was just Venom didn't matter
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who was there she'd fly in screaming slamming car doors ironically Maria's passion was one
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of the things that had attracted Frank to her in the first place he liked the crazy Frank's friend Paul ceciliano you
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know in the beginning when they were together it was fun for him you know cuz he did have that kind of Wildside to him
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Frank and Maria eloped in 1997 soon they had a son Cyrus and then a daughter Frankie well the kids were
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the were his biggest priority everything he did was about the kids when Frank's father retired he took over the family
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business a junkyard located behind Frank's childhood home Frank's friend and Joe's wife Katie yodok he knew
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everybody I mean everybody in the town knew Frank Spencer Frank's friends say Maria didn't seem to
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warm to family life the way Frank had Frank was disappointed that she wasn't taking that much of an interest in the
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kids the marriage eventually began to crumble and Frank filed for divorce in 2006 police were called several times
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for domestic disputes despite this Frank wanted to keep the kids in one home his
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friend Ron Roman Frank said that kids shouldn't be punished by having to go to their
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mother's house or their father's house this is your house so this week I live here then the that week I'll leave and
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that that the kids should try to have as stable as life as they possibly can but
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friends say Maria was anything but stable in 2008 she was arrested after a scuffle with Frank's mother at her
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daughter's school she was charged with disorderly conduct harassment and child endangerment for allegedly not buckling
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her daughter into the car Tom lipold prosecuted the case when he was an assistant DA but didn't feel
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he could prove child endangerment and so I agreed to dismiss that charge in exchange for the plate of the two other
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offenses Maria pleed guilty and had to pay a $600 fine but the Judgment only seemed to Fu Maria's rage she repeatedly
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threatened to kill Frank sometimes in front of other people Frank had been reporting those threats to local police
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for years the issue is is that Frank and Maria relationship was volatile Hemlock
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Township police officer Scott Tross says Frank and Maria would fight but often reconcile he says he wrote up Maria's
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threats but says Frank didn't want it pursued he just wanted things documented for his sake in case something happened
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to him by 2009 the Spencer's divorce battle was 3 years along and still far from
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over but emotionally Frank was moving on did the two of you hit it off right away
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we did Frank and I both admit that we were both smitten at the same time when meeting each
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other Julie Dent met Frank through mutual friends and things soon turned serious Maria did not take this news
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well especially when she heard Julie had spent time with the children hey Julie it's Maria Spencer you can go out with
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Frank but do not make no mistake about it watch my children the situation escalated further that summer Maria's
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father Rocco Franklin who had a reputation as a tough guy was released from prison after serving 5 years on
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fraud charges this was not good news to Frank he started changing his habits uh when when her father was out
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of jail because he was very concerned about something happening to him did he feel like he was being hunted
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yes a few months after Rocco's release there was a Breakin at Frank's junkyard nothing of value was taken but a pile of
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business records was stolen documents that could potentially help Maria prove Frank's income in the divorce the day
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after the apparent break-in uh I received a phone call from Maria Spencer saying that she had found a trash bag on
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the front porch of her mother's house with all these business records in it remember Tom lipold the man who once
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prosecuted Maria he was now serving as Maria's divorce attorney even though he was still an assistant DA it may sound
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bizarre but it is allowed in Pennsylvania for part-time prosecutors in terms of appearances do you understand why it for
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some it's troubling that you took on Maria Spencer because she'd had all these run-ins with the law doesn't that
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compromise you it did not compromise me I had no contact and no involvement with
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any criminal matter involving Frank Spencer or Maria Spencer after I undertook to represent her in the
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divorce none many in town suspected Maria and Roco had been involved in the burglary Sergeant TR interviewed Maria
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and gathered evidence which he took to the DA Tom Li hold's boss um I consulted with the district attorney at that time
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and then I reviewed the entire case with him and he determined that there was not
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enough to pursue criminal charges against Maria Spencer Maria gave the documents to her lawyer and they were
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ultimately returned to Frank but the burglary was left unsolved to this day I don't understand it it's like we're in a
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you know some weird Universe Frank's friends were beginning to wonder if Maria would ever be stopped especially
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when they saw what happened next I guess when the house burned down I was like this isn't a game
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anymore tough talk or threats listen to more of Maria Spencer's voicemails on Facebook at 48
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[Music] Hours hey Julie it's Maria Spencer jimm me a favor don't watch my children do
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not get between me and Frank by doing my children do you understand me by the winter of 2010 the war of the Spencers
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continued and so did the threats from Maria I've never been threatened I really chocked it up to just a a bully
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that she was just running her mouth as she so often did Maria continued to harass Frank too
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often making veiled threats about her father hey Frank it's Maria she's an old man got funny ways I thought I'd let you
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know because I care about you because I wanted to frighten you despite the threats Julie and Frank
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tried to live a normal life that January they planned a romantic trip to the Caribbean and was Maria aware that you
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were about to take a vacation unfortunately yes Maria started texting Julie about Frank he says he loves me
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and didn't want to disappoint you on your only vacation this year and do you want to know if he loves you or me then
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the night before they were supposed to leave she asked Frank to dinner to talk about custody and dinner turned into a
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room for the night at a hotel she lured him away that night Frank's mother's home where he lived off and on went up
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in Flames Frank's friends rushed to the scene including his divorce attorney Joel whis nobody could find Frank we
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were all very upset thinking Frank was in the fire fortunately the house was empty that night except for the kid's
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dog who died in the fire Frank's friend Dirk Reed says as they were standing by the smoldering ruins Maria drove up
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smiling drives up the driveway smirk on her face turned around left that was that Frank arrived soon after Maria left
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and told the state police fire marshal that he was certain Maria and her father had set the fire but the Fire Marshall
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said there was no way to find evidence of arson because the structure was destroyed the fire was designated
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undetermined Frank was extremely angry that they could not figure out why or how the fire started Frank was done with
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just wanting things documented he wanted an arrest Frank and I approached everybody we could think of in the law
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enforcement Community I still until to this day do not know if there was ever an investigation Sergeant tra from the
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hemlock Township Police started a case File and spoke to Maria but says because of the Fire Marshal's conclusion there
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was little else he could do I did have a strong suspicion that it was arson um but I'm not an expert so when he
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determined that that's what I have to go with after the fire Maria seemed to taunt Frank in a text
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karma is a wonderful thing you destroyed my life I feel a lot better since your whole life went up in the fire makes it
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fair and I can hear her saying it it was just a text I can hear it Maria followed
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up with another menacing text about Julie I will make her lose her job her home and you did Frank read that to you
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he did he was very um to Dro by it as time went on Maria's threats grew more bold and more public at a kids
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soccer game Maria screamed in Julie's face that her house was next a few months later Julie was home alone asleep
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it was when I heard the breaking of glass as I came around to the top of the stairs as I was about to round the
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corner I was greeted by a fireball literally a fireball coming up the stairs what do you do nothing else I
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could do but to open a window and go out onto the porch roof Julie jumped from her secondstory porch roof and survived
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shaken but uninjured I lost everything and do you believe that the sole intent of this was to burn a house
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down or was it to kill you I do believe it also had the component of of ridding me from the life yes of Frank Spencer
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Julie lived in a different County and she and Frank were hoping for a better outcome this time but another state
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police fire marshal at the scene that night said he couldn't find evidence of what started the fire at this point even
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I wasn't accepting it let alone Frank Julie's home insurance sent a fire inspector out the next morning and Joel
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whis says he showed him what they found here by this window there was a car jack
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right here laying on the ground it was a scissor jack that would lift the car what would a jack be doing here it's
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heavy it's steel it was used to break that window in and the investigator noticed a path through the weeds by the
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house there was a milk jug a gallon container and there was an unused road flare lying next to it an igniter an
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igniter which said to the investigator these are the makings of a firebomb a firebomb the state police fire marshal
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came back out to the scene and they used their apparatus to determine accelerance
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and there was gasoline all over those steps this time the fire was ruled and arson Frank and Julie told the fire
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marshal they were certain Maria was involved and shared her prior threats but once again no one was charged in the
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fall of 2010 Frank and Julie tried separating briefly and in desperation told their story to a local
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paper a year and a half later there was something else in the newspaper an announcement that Frank and Maria were
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finally divorced had the two of you talked about spending the rest of your lives together perhaps we
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did yes but that would never happen the day after that divorce notice was published Frank Spencer
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was dead let's open this a little bit farther oh my this is his home right here yes it is
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right here on the left uh this is the murder scene Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Shawn Williams was assigned to
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lead the murder investigation the day Frank Spencer's body was found on that July Morning as you
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approach the front door here what did you see Peter there was a lot of blood right here in front of this doorway uh
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the blood had striations in it like as though it been pushed with a push broom attempt at cleanup
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Frank's house has been frozen in time in the years since his murder in 2012 you can see some of our Chemical
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Testing uh Frank Spencer's blood uh spattered against uh this frame and door can you get us inside
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sure Frank Spencer's body was right here on these tiles uh Frank's head was uh behind this doorway and his arms were
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outreached above his head he was laying on his back investigators found their next clue in the blood around Frank's
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Body right here where this section of the floor was removed the forensic Service Unit did
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their collection of evidence uh they found that there were Footwear Impressions on this tile in blood
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Footprints yes right here yes we sent it to the FBI uh for analysis and it came back that it was a Dr scholes model
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Escape brand uh size 11 uh sneaker the same size and brand of shoe that Maria's father Rocco was known to
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wear what other evidence did you find here in the house I can show you if you come on in this is the main living room
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of Frank's Spencer's home we come back into the kitchen here the forensic Services Unit they
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found a glove a yellow cleaning glove uh right about this position right here you expect to see a rubber glove in
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the kitchen but not laying in in the middle of the floor and the mate for the rubber glove was actually right inside
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the sink here when the gloves were tested Maria's DNA was found inside friends say she
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hadn't lived in that house in over a [Music] year it wasn't a a door slam close the
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file and make an arrest but it definitely helped us along the way Detective Williams had now apparently
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linked Maria and her father Rocco to the murder scene but that could only take William so far I mean we work in our
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business with fact so just because everybody in town was saying I think Maria did this I think her father did
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this we couldn't just assume that but soon investigators uncovered more evidence of two suspects Frank had been
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shot by two different guns and forensic analysis determined that the first bullet struck Frank when he was outside
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the front door and it came from a rifle uh a bullet passed through his bicep and went into his chest cavity and was
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that a fatal shot do you believe yes since a rifle is typically a longdistance weapon police expanded
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their search into the woods Peter right up here on this Ridge across from the house you'll see a y in a tree and
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there's a big base this one right up here yes so that is the location uh where we found a spent casing a live
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casing both 30 o six rounds and there was a soft gun case uh for a long rifle uh located as well now this killing took
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place in July height of summer so I take it this whole Hillside would be covered
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with leaves bushes would Frank have seen an attacker up there I wouldn't think so so this was
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a classic Ambush yes after that first shot Williams says Frank was dragged in inside and shot again this time with a
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handgun at close range then why a second bullet it could be a motivation of hatred uh it could be a message sent to
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Frank Spencer that shot meant something to someone that put it there Detective Williams had another
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mystery to solve where was Frank's pickup truck we have a victim inside the house but there was no vehicle there for
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the victim investigators checked security cameras along the roads near Frank's house and
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they found images of Frank's truck driving away from his house just minutes after they calculated he had been
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murdered but who was inside the [Music] truck I sent it to the United States Secret Service and it was still just too
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far away it wasn't like they could zoom in look through the window and see who was there
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Frank's truck was eventually found in Sunbury Pennsylvania 27 mil from Frank's house and just 5 miles from where Maria
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was living at the [Music] time Frank's missing truck had led police toward Maria's home but there was
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something else missing from Franks that day that would lead them toward rocos and then all of a
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sudden there was a dog up here right over here is a w [Music] [Music] miranian you good what do you think it
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look all right yeah so Frank and Barbara Pinto run a wedding venue in Dolphin Pennsylvania 72 miles from where Frank
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Spencer was killed on the day of the murder they were setting up for a wedding when an
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Uninvited Guest wandered in beautiful dog just come saching in I said well whose dog is this and nobody knew whose
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dog it was it was Frank's dog Mutley adopted after his kid's dog was killed in that fire so did Mutley look
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exhausted like taken some 70 mile journey to get here no you could tell he was somebody's dog he was very well
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taken care of take care of Detective Williams realized that someone had driven Mutley to dolphin and that person
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must have been at Frank's house at the time of the murder and how many killers would take a
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dog with them unless they knew that dog I wouldn't think too many Williams learned that Rocco lived in Harrisburg
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Pennsylvania and the wedding venue is right along the road from Frank's house to Rocco
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O's cell phone is on that direct route that same day Williams theorizes that Maria had asked Roco to take Muttley for
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the kids sake and that Mutley had run off accidentally when Roco stopped along the
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way it was now 2 months after Frank's murder and Williams wanted to talk to his two main suspects Maria refused but
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to William's surprise Rocco agreed which still blows my mind why he decided to talk to us however I think Rocco likes
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that cat and mouse part of an investigation Rocco did give Williams an alibi what did he say he said I never
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left Harrisburg I couldn't believe it because I know from his cell phone that he had traveled twice Roco told police a
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Preposterous story saying that while he had never liked Frank he was actually at
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Frank's house the day before the murder without Maria helping tidy up I what kind of cleaning were you doing and he
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said well uh I was you know folding laundry and uh cleaning up with the push broom that's the same push broom that
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was used to clean Frank's blood off the porch even more far-fetched Rocco said Frank had let him test drive his truck
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that day and that when he offered to buy it it Frank suggested they wrestle for it basically what he's saying is I
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touched Frank Spencer I touched the truck and I touch that push broom it sounds like he's trying to create a
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scenario if you find my DNA in any of these places this is why absolutely around the same time Rocco
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was talking to Williams Frank's friend Dirk saw Maria in the stands at a high school football
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game so I just sat down beside her and I said I just want to let you know don't worry about me around your kids I said
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I'm never going to say anything to disrespect you or Frank around your kids and she looked at me and goes that's why
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you're still alive Reed and I just looked at her and said tell your dad I said hi and she went off
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like many of Frank's friends Dirk suspected Rocco had helped Maria murder Frank and we were basically almost nose
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to nose and I'm going why you took him away from not just your kids from everybody what did she say to that
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though I mean did she say I didn't kill him oh no no what she said was the last thing he saw before he died was
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me it was a wretched moment for dirk but a huge piece of evidence for the case she's putting herself at a homicide
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scene if she saw someone take their last breath she's saying she was there by that Autumn Williams was working with
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prosecutor Tony foray the senior Deputy attorney general for the Commonwealth of
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Pennsylvania I think it was horrible that what Frank went through foray was handling the prosecution because the
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County DA was now Tom lipold Maria's former divorce attorney and he had recused himself from the
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case foray was a gast when he learned Frank had been reporting death threats for years both before and after the
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fires in 2010 in the state of Pennsylvania is making a death threat to someone is that
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a crime yes that would be a terroristic threat even when Frank did ask police to
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investigate some of the threats he reported Maria was never brought in for an interview or charged with making
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terroristic threats you get away with terroristic threats and then if you get away with a burglary and you get away
00:31:03
with a fire and you get away with a blatant attempt to murder a girlfriend in a fire the only thing left is
00:31:13
murder local police officer Scott TRW people in this town who believe that you and other members of the hemlock
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Township uh police department were just not doing your job you were not properly
00:31:28
investigating these threats and complaints you say what that's not true every incident that was thoroughly
00:31:35
investigated if they were serious in nature um the colum County district attorney was consulted and he would
00:31:42
determine at that time if somebody would get arrested or not arrested the County
00:31:46
district attorney during most of the time leading up to Frank's murder was Gary Norton he says he never knew about
00:31:53
Maria's threatening voicemails and texts as District attorney I only know what the police tell me and Norton says it
00:32:02
was usually up to police to make arrests not the da but when I was Da 95 to 99% of the arrests that were made were made
00:32:11
without consultation with the da the police had that power and exercised that power Julie danfire was not in TRW or
00:32:19
Norton's district and Norton says he didn't ignore Frank's mother's Fire or the theft of Frank's business records he
00:32:27
said say he was following the law is there an arson and can we prove arson no is there a burglary no because Frank
00:32:35
Spencer had no proof that it was Maria who entered the premises before a prosecutor can ethically bring a charge
00:32:42
there has to be evidence or proof Beyond A Reasonable Doubt but prosecutor Tony fory felt he could prove the earlier
00:32:51
crimes and Frank's murder it took time to gather evidence and in 2013 foray convened a grand jury this time both
00:33:02
suspects agreed to talk and there was no interrupting Maria so as soon as she took a breath I would ask a question did
00:33:11
you ever threaten to kill Frank Spencer her answer would be absolutely not check
00:33:19
one count of perjury did you ever threaten Julie Dent absolutely not check and so for8 charged Maria with 12 counts
00:33:28
of perjury more than a dozen other charges and most importantly Frank Spencer's murder in July
00:33:38
2014 Williams went to arrest her and that's when I told her she was under arrest for the murder of Frank Spencer
00:33:45
she immediately began to say oh my God oh my God oh my God the warrant for Rocco's arrest was
00:33:54
issued the same day but Rocco was nowhere to be found it had been two years since Frank
00:34:13
Spencer's murder and Maria Spencer was finally under arrest it was like you lifted you know a weit like there's
00:34:21
1,000 lb on your back but her father Rocco had skipped town the year before fleeing right after he finished his
00:34:29
grand jury testimony within like 36 hours Roco Franklin had boarded a plane to Columbia South America and are you
00:34:39
hot on his Trail not at that point that's because Roco had an 11-month Head Start but once Williams had an arrest
00:34:48
warrant and a Little Help from the state department he found him he was only four
00:34:53
blocks away from the United States Embassy in Buenos series AR artina I couldn't believe that it was sort of
00:35:01
that easy sort of was the operative term within weeks Roo was arrested by Argentinian police but he fought
00:35:09
extradition and so in the fall of 2015 Maria Spencer went on trial for Frank's murder
00:35:16
alone prosecutor Tony foray the totality of what went on is I think both the strength of the case and also the the
00:35:27
horror of the case foray had Maria's DNA at the crime scene the truck found close
00:35:34
to her home and her history of death threats Maria's defense was to blame her own father clearly the defense strategy
00:35:44
was this was all Roco Roco Roco He's the bad guy it was all him cameras were not
00:35:52
allowed inside the trial one by one Frank's friends took the stand how many of you uh were called upon to testify at
00:36:01
trial all of us all of us they told the jury about the fires Maria's admission that she was at the crime scene and the
00:36:10
years of harassment Julie Dent testified about an especially disturbing threat so
00:36:17
what would she say to Frank one specific that I remember plain as day is that she would cut off both of
00:36:25
his hands and dip it into hot tart cauterize them so that she would never he would never be able to hold his
00:36:35
children again the trial lasted 9 days as the jury began its deliberation Frank's
00:36:44
friends were worried you're just think my God things never seem to go our way you know I was
00:36:54
scared 8 hours later the jury had reached a verdict I look down I never look at the jury because I don't want to
00:37:03
react I'm waiting which seems like an eternity and then it's guilty guilty guilty guilty Maria was found guilty on
00:37:15
all counts for murdering Frank Spencer and for the two arson the burglary 12 counts of perjury conspiracy and
00:37:25
terroristic threats Merry Christmas she was sentenced to life without parole plus 50 years that was it that was it
00:37:35
yep that's it for all of us oh my thank you thank God it took another year and a half but
00:37:43
in 2017 Williams was finally able to bring Roco back to St Tron I never done anything you killed Mr Spencer of course
00:37:52
not don't talk big Maria had argued Rocco killed Frank alone but Rocco wasn't following that script come on I
00:38:02
got no beef with Frank Spencer if I had a beef I a broke his face a long time ago but Rocco who spoke to us from the
00:38:09
county jail doesn't appear to be holding a grudge against Maria for trying to blame it all on him Maria never hurt
00:38:18
nobody what they did to that girl's outrageous Roco says he's innocent of murder and the rest of it but they got
00:38:26
no proof what proof they had show me one piece of evidence one eyewitness one fingerprint one
00:38:33
anything prosecutor foray says he has plenty of evidence from the shoe print in Frank's blood Footprints yes to
00:38:42
Rocco's ridiculous Story how are you feeling Rocco I'm doing fine how you doing putting himself at Frank's before
00:38:49
the murder and of course the arrival of Mutley at that wedding like I'm that dumb that I'm a steal a guy I'm supposed
00:38:58
to whack take his dog and leave it 10 miles from my house come on that don't even sound
00:39:05
right in the Autumn of 2018 after a 4-day trial Roco Franklin was convicted of Frank's murder and for the burglary
00:39:15
and the arson at Frank's mother's house he was sentenced to life plus 45 years I mean this has been a long drawn
00:39:26
out affair and it never needed to be what we're going through now Dirk's wife Dena Reed after the first fire she
00:39:38
should have been in prison um Frank should still be here Sergeant TR says he did what he
00:39:46
could Frank said I I understand that but I wouldn't do anything and our department would do anything differently
00:39:52
than we did Tony foray has called what Frank experienced an epic failure of law enforcement did anyone stop and look at
00:40:02
the totality of everything that was going on and do something significant in terms of arresting either Maria or her
00:40:10
father Rocco the answer is no well there's not a crime in the Pennsylvania crimes code that's called the totality
00:40:16
of the circumstances make you look really guilty former da Gary Norton you have to analyze these things Case by
00:40:24
case and ask yourself can then arrest be made and can I in good faith secure a conviction Beyond A Reasonable Doubt and
00:40:32
the answer uh was yes where we prosecuted her and no and we did not prosecute her I reacted as best I could
00:40:41
in the situation and my conscience is clear I don't have any regrets as to what I
00:40:46
did out in front of the courthouse where Gary Norton now serves as a judge and Maria's former divorce lawyer Tom lipold
00:40:55
serves as the county d a is a fundraising brick Frank Spencer purchased years ago he dedicated it to
00:41:04
his children and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about them and I and I still can't figure out
00:41:14
why why it happened [Music] was Rocco a wise guy listen to what he has to say at 48
00:41:40
hours.com right now it seems as if everything is unpredictable we're all stuck at home and like you I'm feeling a
00:41:46
bit helpless right now but I want you to know we are here for you all working together you are not alone that's right
00:41:54
because we're all in this and we're all in this All in This Together

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 85
    Most intense
  • 80
    Most shocking
  • 80
    Biggest twist
  • 75
    Most heartbreaking

Episode Highlights

  • The Competitive Spirit of Frank
    Frank was a fierce competitor, even in go-kart racing, showcasing his vibrant personality.
    “He couldn't quit; a real competitor, yeah.”
    @ 00m 33s
    November 07, 2023
  • The Tragic Discovery
    Frank's friend Joe found him dead, leading to a heartbreaking realization.
    “I hope I don't find him dead.”
    @ 04m 37s
    November 07, 2023
  • The Fire Incident
    Frank's house burned down under suspicious circumstances, heightening fears for his safety.
    “Frank was done just wanting things documented; he wanted an arrest.”
    @ 14m 50s
    November 07, 2023
  • Maria's Threats Escalate
    Maria's threats towards Frank grew increasingly bold and public, creating a tense atmosphere.
    “Maria screamed in Julie's face that her house was next.”
    @ 16m 11s
    November 07, 2023
  • The Investigation Unfolds
    Detectives linked Maria and Rocco to the murder scene, but evidence was still circumstantial.
    “We couldn't just assume that Maria did this.”
    @ 22m 32s
    November 07, 2023
  • Maria's Arrest
    Maria Spencer was arrested for the murder of Frank Spencer after years of threats.
    “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!”
    @ 33m 47s
    November 07, 2023
  • Rocco's Conviction
    Rocco Franklin was convicted of Frank's murder and sentenced to life plus 45 years.
    “This has been a long drawn-out affair.”
    @ 39m 12s
    November 07, 2023
  • The Epic Failure of Law Enforcement
    Tony Foray described Frank's experience as an epic failure of law enforcement.
    “Did anyone stop and look at the totality of everything?”
    @ 39m 56s
    November 07, 2023

Episode Quotes

  • He was one of a kind, great person, outstanding friend.
    Maria Spencer’s Vow to Kill | Full Episode
  • This isn't a game anymore.
    Maria Spencer’s Vow to Kill | Full Episode
  • I lost everything.
    Maria Spencer’s Vow to Kill | Full Episode
  • That's why you're still alive.
    Maria Spencer’s Vow to Kill | Full Episode
  • It was a wretched moment for Dirk.
    Maria Spencer’s Vow to Kill | Full Episode
  • Merry Christmas, she was sentenced to life without parole.
    Maria Spencer’s Vow to Kill | Full Episode

Key Moments

  • Frank's Personality00:41
  • Tragic Discovery04:37
  • Escalating Threats11:48
  • Investigation Begins22:32
  • Maria's Threat36:22
  • Guilty Verdict37:11
  • Life Sentence37:29
  • Final Reflections41:10

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown