The Crime
Franklin Perkins was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of Lee Selwyn, a motorcyclist and well-known disc jockey in Los Angeles. Frank has maintained his innocence, explaining he had never been to Los Angeles and did not own a similar truck at the time of the accident.
The prosecution alleged that Perkins, in a fit of rage, deliberately crashed into Selwyn, causing him to collide with a telephone pole, which resulted in Selwyn’s death. Because Selwyn was well respected in his community, many resources poured into finding the person responsible for Sewlyn’s murder, including a repeated broadcast of the television show, Unsolved Mysteries.
Five years after the incident, several witnesses came forward and identified Perkins as the driver. However, the witnesses had a motive to lie, were inconsistent, and were a product of bias.
Inconsistent Descriptions: The initial sketch of the driver, created by witness Robert Kalafut, depicted a man with long hair, a beard, and a mustache. However, a subsequent sketch for Easy Rider Magazine showed the driver with curly hair, indicating inconsistencies in the description.
Eyewitness ID and Bias: It took five years for two informants to call in a tip from the Unsolved Mysteries episode. Their initial statement that they believed Frank was involved was based on the problematic sketch broadcast repeatedly on the show. The media filmed Frank’s arrest, airing it in Los Angeles. After the eyewitnesses saw Frank being arrested, they became certain in their identification.
Vehicle Description Variability: Witnesses described the vehicle involved as either a Ford Bronco or a Chevy Blazer, with varying details such as the presence of a roof rack and the color of the vehicle. Frank owned a similar truck but testified that he sold it before 1988 and that it did not match the description provided by the witnesses.
Motives and Recantations: Several witnesses who identified Perkins had potential motives to lie. For instance, Robert Green, a former cellmate, and Wayne Owens, who had known Perkins for years, provided testimony that was later contradicted or recanted. Owens denied telling others that Perkins admitted to the crime, and Green’s testimony was inconsistent with his statements to law enforcement.
Frank has maintained that he was not in Los Angeles at the time of the incident. He testified that he was either in Georgia or Lake Isabella, California, during the relevant period, and had never been to the specific area of Los Angeles where the crime occurred.
Frank has spent nearly 30 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, and Selwyn’s murderer got away with this terrible crime. Anyone with information about the crime is encouraged to provide it to The Innocence Center.
