Index/People/Bertha Franklin

Bertha Franklin

Fact-Checks

12 results
Oct 10, 2025
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What were the circumstances surrounding Sam Cooke's death on December 11 1964?

Sam Cooke was shot and killed on December 11, 1964, at the Hacienda Motel in South Central Los Angeles; the motel manager, Bertha Franklin, said she shot him in after Cooke allegedly attacked her, and...

Nov 30, 2025
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Who was Bertha Franklin and what role did she play in Sam Cooke's death investigation?

Bertha (Berth Lee) Franklin was the 55‑year‑old manager of the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles who, according to police and a coroner’s jury, shot Sam Cooke on December 11, 1964; the killing was ruled a...

Dec 11, 2025
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What do police reports and the coroner's inquest state about Sam Cooke's death on December 11 1964?

Police and coroner records from the night of December 11, 1964 concluded that Sam Cooke was shot and killed at the Hacienda Motel in South Central Los Angeles and that the killing was ruled justifiabl...

Oct 26, 2025

Who was Bertha Franklin and what was her role in Sam Cooke's death?

Bertha Franklin was the night manager of the Hacienda Motel who shot and killed singer Sam Cooke on December 11, 1964; a Los Angeles coroner’s jury later ruled the shooting a based on Franklin’s claim...

Oct 20, 2025

What was the official cause of Sam Cooke's death on December 11 1964?

The official finding for Sam Cooke’s death on December 11, 1964, is that he died from a gunshot wound to the chest and that the coroner’s jury returned a verdict of , accepting motel manager Bertha Fr...

Dec 13, 2025

What did the coroner's report state about Sam Cooke's death on December 11, 1964?

A Los Angeles coroner’s jury concluded Sam Cooke’s death at the Hacienda Motel on December 11, 1964 was a “justifiable homicide,” finding motel manager Bertha Franklin acted in self‑defense after she ...

Oct 30, 2025

What were the circumstances surrounding Sam Cooke's visit to the Hacienda Motel on December 11 1964?

Sam Cooke visited the Hacienda Motel on the night of December 11, 1964, and was shot and killed there; the motel manager, , claimed she shot him in self-defense and the death was officially ruled a ju...

Oct 2, 2025

The Unsolved Death of Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke’s death on December 11, 1964, remains contested: the official ruling of justifiable homicide is widely reported, yet numerous articles continue to highlight unanswered questions, investigati...

Jan 11, 2026

How did the Los Angeles Police Department handle the Sam Cooke case in 1964?

The Los Angeles Police Department dispatched officers to the Hacienda Motel after a reported shooting, found Sam Cooke dead, and carried out an investigation that led to a coroner’s inquest and an off...

Jan 10, 2026

What did the Los Angeles police homicide report conclude about Sam Cooke's death?

The Los Angeles investigation and coroner’s inquest concluded that Sam Cooke’s death was a justifiable homicide: motel manager Bertha Franklin shot Cooke in what she and investigators said was self‑de...

Dec 10, 2025

How did law enforcement handle the investigation into Sam Cooke's death and were any charges filed?

Law enforcement in Los Angeles treated Sam Cooke’s December 11, 1964 death as a justifiable homicide after a brief LAPD inquiry and a coroner’s inquest that accepted motel manager Bertha Franklin’s ac...

Oct 6, 2025

Who was Bertha Franklin and what role did she play in Sam Cooke's death?

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