A man accused of being the 'mastermind' behind the deadly robbery of a former University of Oklahoma football player will spend the rest of his life in prison after being found guilty of capital murder Thursday.
Antwan Franklin took the stand in his own defense Thursday, saying he didn't know anyone would get hurt, let alone die. On the last day of his capital murder trial, he said he helped two other suspects plan what he thought would be a burglary to steal drugs and money from Du'vanta Lampkin's Airbnb in 2022.
Franklin said he told suspect Eric Garcia, one of his weed buyers, that Lampkin was his supplier and had large amounts of weed and money. Franklin said Garcia wanted to steal from Lampkin and threatened him to help.
“He knew that I was a person that had my own drugs and money and he threatened me that he would rob me at my mother’s home," Franklin said on the stand.
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Franklin said he got John Williams involved because he thought Garcia might still try to hurt him.
Evidence presented in court Thursday included messages between Franklin and Garcia organizing a break-in, with Franklin letting Garcia know Lampkin's whereabouts.
Franklin said he and Lampkin were driving around and smoking together in May 2022. Franklin said he texted Garcia when he and Lampkin pulled up to his Airbnb, alerting Garcia that Lampkin would be coming back to his room.
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Franklin insisted he didn't know anyone had a gun and didn't think anyone would get hurt. He said he left the area in an Uber after Lampkin went inside his building and prayed that everything went well.
“Machinations of idiots. Texts of idiots," one of Franklin's attorneys said during his closing arguments. "They’re asking you to find him guilty of capital murder because of stupid texts he wrote to this guy, Eric Garcia because he’s scared of him.”
However, prosecutors told the jury not to buy that argument, saying the texts showed Franklin was the mastermind who even overruled Garcia in some of the planning details. They also pointed out that Franklin asked for a cut of the loot.
He’s setting up this robbery for Eric because he’s scared of Eric? That is so silly!” said prosecutor and assistant district attorney Jacob Zachariah. “If he’s scared, why is he asking for a cut? Who asks for a cut from somebody you’re scared of? It just doesn’t make sense.”
The prosecution also argued that Franklin had to have known that it was likely that someone would die during the break-in, even if he never saw anyone with a gun.
“Who is robbing a 6-foot-6, 270-pound football player when you’re 5-foot-8, 150 pounds, without a gun?” Zachariah said.
Video presented in court earlier this week showed two men running into the unit behind Lampkin and emerging about a minute later with a backpack. The alleged plot was for the men to split the thousands of dollars in the backpack. There was nowhere near that amount, according to prosecutors.
Franklin was supposed to go on trial last year but is accused of cutting off his ankle monitor and taking off before being caught in Richardson days later.
In October, a jury found Williams not guilty of capital murder. Eric Garcia is awaiting trial.
Those convicted of capital murder in the state of Texas face a punishment of either life in prison or the death penalty. Franklin was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
