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In Mobile Alabama, on April 13 1950 he was born to a WWII Vet and a very traditional German Women. He grew up in poverty and childhood abuse.

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In the 1960s he found comfort in white supremacist groups. After reading Hitler's autobiographical manifesto, “Mein Kampf,” he felt a need to take action.

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When he was 26 he legally changed his name to 'Joseph Paul Franklin'. Joseph Paul after a Nazi minister he looked up to. And Franklin after Benjamin Franklin, who he also looked up to.

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Joseph Firebombed a Synagogue on July 1977, in Chattanooga Tennessee. Destroyed the synagogue, there were no casualties recorded.

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He became a drifter, moving from state to state often, looking for opportunities to "cleanse the world" of people he thought to be inferior. He robbed banks and donated blood to fund him while he constantly moved around.

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Joseph shot and killed an interracial couple in Madison Wisconsin on August 7, 1977.

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After killing two people in Utah, he got detained while traveling because of the sniper rifle he had in his car. He fled from the investigation, but the police were able to collect enough evidence to link him to multiple sniper killings.

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He was arrested on October 28 1980. He was found because he was known to go to blood banks. After issuing a nation wide alert to blood banks, one employee recognized his conspicuous tattoos and reported him.

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During is Psych exam, done by Dr. Dorothy Lewis, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Even after his prosecution he was reevaluated and diagnosed again.

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Even though the doctor said he was unfit to stand trial he still did. He was convicted for 8 murders but was suspected of over 22. He had 4 life sentences and was put to death.

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Franklin's motive was to start a race war. He thought that if he showed other white supremacist's how to kill, they would join them. After being captured he admitted that he had guilt and what he did was wrong.

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His execution was scheduled for November 20, 2013. There was issues getting the lethal injection needed for the execution. His execution was the first in missouri to use only the pentobarbital drug.