Bertha Franklin would have lived and died like pretty much any ordinary person, but as fate wrote her story, she became the center of a controversy that would linger for decades- the killing of Sam Cooke.
On December 11, 1964, one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Sam Cooke, was found dead with gunshot wounds to the chest. The shooter was none other than Bertha Franklin. In the end, it was claimed that she killed the singer in self-defense while others insisted it was nothing but murder. Here is a complete look at what happened and how she ended up killing the legendary singer.
Who is Bertha Franklin?
Bertha Franklin was an African American woman who rose to public knowledge in the 1960s following her involvement in the death of the famous singer, Sam Cooke.
She was born in Louisiana, United States on 28 Jan 1909. Details about her parents, siblings, and education were all kept away from the public, just as her personal life.
Barbara worked as a manager at the Hacienda Motel, where Samuel Cook was killed.
The Death of Sam Cooke
The death of Sam Cooke has continued to remain a mystery, many years after he was murdered. Apart from the singer, two people were also known to be involved; Bertha Lee Franklin and Elisa Boyer.
On the night of Sam’s death, he was introduced to a beautiful 22-year-old Asian lady, Elisa Boyer at the Martoni’s Italian restaurant. Around 1 am, the singer left the restaurant to a club and around 2, Boyer claimed to ask Cooke to take her home.
Instead of taking her home, she alleged that he drove her to the Hacienda Motel where he dragged her into a room. She claimed he wanted to rape her but somehow, she managed to run out of the room where she knocked but the door was locked.
She ran to a nearby payphone and called the police, claiming that she was kidnapped. She made the call around 3:08 am. Less than 10 minutes later, the police received another call, but this time around, it was with news that someone had been shot and probably killed. The person was Sam Cooke.
Bertha’s Story About How She Killed Sam Cooke
In her version of what happened that day, Bertha claimed that she was in her apartment in the motel when the singer came banging, believing the woman he came to the motel with, Lisa Boyer, was hiding there. Bertha claimed she told Cooke that she was alone there, but he wouldn’t listen.
The singer decided to break down the door using his shoulder. He searched for the lady, but she wasn’t there. Bertha stated that when he didn’t find the woman he was looking for, he grabbed her, and then a struggle ensued.
The two fell to the ground before Bertham who was 55 at the time, made it up and reached for a loaded 22-calibre pistol which was on a television set. She fired three shots that got Sam Cooke in the chest. He was hit in the heart, causing his death.
She claimed that after she shot the first time, he said “Lady, you shot me!” He stood and rushed towards her, and that was when she fired two more shots.
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Why Many Believed Bertha Franklin Lied
Although she maintained the core of her story, many things were conflicting about the murder, which forced many to believe the woman was lying.
One of the things many couldn’t wrap their heads around was how a man of his status would come to a motel like that. The conclusion was that he was lured by Boyer who was most likely working for Franklin as a prostitute.
Conspiracy theorists claim the two women worked together to bring the singer there to rob and then kill him. That was why, as alleged, the $5,000 he had on him was never accounted for.
More so, there seemed to be a hasty conclusion on the cause of his death, which the police gave as “justifiable homicide.” Fans and people who knew him insisted that while he had his flaws, it was out of his character to kidnap someone and attack a woman in that manner. Hence, they believe the cover-up was too much to include the police who did not allow his lawyer to ask questions.
Bertha Franklin Sued The Estate of Sam Cooke
After the case died down, Bertha Franklin was forced to leave her job at the motel and go into hiding because of many death threats against her. When she came out from hiding, she sued the estate of the singer asking for compensation citing “mental anguish and physical injuries”.
The widow of Sam Cooke, Barbara Campbell Cooke, who went on to marry her husband’s protégé Bobby Womack only a few months after the tragedy, countersued. In the end, it was Bertha who was given a settlement of $30,000.
How Did Bertha Franklin and Boyer End?
Although some reports claimed she was killed less than two years after Cooke, Bertha Lee Franklin lived to be 80 before she died on 14 Apr 1989 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA. She was buried at the Rose Hills Memorial Park.
Exactly a month after the tragedy, Elisa Boyer was arrested for prostitution and 15 years later, she was arrested for killing her boyfriend. She was sentenced to 25 years to life after she was convicted of second-degree murder.
