Reginald Potts Finally Charged with the Nailah Franklin Murder
December 8, 2007 – 8:58 amPosted Under: society
Reginald Potts Finally Charged with the Nailah Franklin Murder
Note: Thank you to all of the readers and visitors to this site and “Gina” for letting me know about the arrest first thing this morning!
Source: Chicago Tribune
Reginald Potts who once dated Nailah Franklin, the pharmaceutical representative whose disappearance and slaying stirred the city this fall, was charged Friday with her murder, a spokesman for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office said.
Reginald Potts Jr., 30, has been in Cook County Jail since last month, serving a 100-day sentence he received after pleading guilty to violating an order of protection. While in jail, he was charged with aggravated battery for striking a sheriff’s deputy and was ordered held without bail for that charge.
Police sources said Potts was a suspect since the beginning of the Franklin case. He briefly dated Franklin, 28, and the two had a heated e-mail exchange the week before she was reported missing Sept. 19. Franklin reported Potts to police, but did not file an order of protection against him.
Franklin was found naked in a densely wooded area in Calumet City on Sept. 27 after being missing for a week. Widespread searches eventually turned up her car, and later her body.
Franklin’s sisters had taken the woman’s case to the streets and the airwaves, establishing a $10,000 reward and distributing fliers featuring a smiling Franklin. Friends and family talked of Franklin’s star-like quality, and her outgoing nature.
She was reported missing Sept. 19, a day after family and a boss tried to call her on her cell, but instead received unusual text messages on her phone saying she was having dinner and would call them back.
Potts is scheduled for a bond hearing Monday on the murder charge.
Update: After browsing around the internet to determine what evidence they actually did have I came up with some information from The Political Cat which is a very informative site:
Prosecutor Robert Milan, First Asst. State’s Attorney, revealed to the Chicago Sun Times that residents of Franklin’s condo building identified Potts as the man they had seen lurking in the parking garage and Franklin’s hallway on September 16th and 17th. Surveillance videotapes taken from Franklin’s condo showed Potts in the building on the 17th and 18th of September.
Building security was apparently called at some point. When questioned, Potts falsely claimed to be a resident and gave a phony name, according to the prosecutor. Subsequently, security called police, but Potts left before police arrived. Police discovered that someone had placed tape over the lock on the garage door, providing access to the building without a key.
Surveillance tapes of the building from 18th September show Potts with Franklin in a hallway. Franklin was last seen alive on September 18th. Potts told police he last saw Franklin on August 27th or 28th. He denied seeing her at all the day she was murdered.
As we suspected, sources have now told the Chicago Sun Times that Franklin was trying to end the relationship with Potts, and not the other way around, as Potts had claimed.
When Franklin emailed friends of hers about Potts’ criminal past, he left her a voicemail stating that he “could have her erased.” Franklin had told friends she was afraid of Potts and gave a friend her e-mail password “in case anything happened to her,” according to the prosecutor. The Chicago Tribune reports that two of Franklin’s friends who knew Potts heard a threatening voicemail that he left for Franklin.
On the day that Franklin was murdered, cellphone records show that Potts was within half a mile of Franklin’s condo although he claimed that he was not near her building at the time. The records show Potts traveling south on the Dan Ryan expressway around 7 pm, at a time that he was supposedly shopping at Target with his alibi witnesses. Incidentally, videotape taken from the Target surveillance cameras show the alibi witnesses at Target, but no trace of Potts. Later, Potts’ and Franklin’s cellphones were shown to be at 159th Street in Calumet City where her jewellery and pharmaceuticals were found on a golf course near a lake. That lake was subsequently dredged by police in hope of finding her body. Clearly, her murderer planned to waste precious police time and resources by laying a false trail.
Shortly after that, cellphone records show Potts and Franklin traveling east at the same time to the place where her body was found. She may well have been dead by that time. Potts disposed of her body but kept her cellphone.
Potts then drove Franklin’s car to Hammond where it would be discovered some days later. An eyewitness allegedly saw Potts looking into the windows of Franklin’s car. He left the car outside an empty house in a residential area. He then called one of the friends with whom he had supposedly been shopping at Target and asked for a ride. The friend picked him up a mile away from where Franklin’s car was later discovered. On the journey back to Chicago, Potts called 911 three times, each time hanging up without a word, in order to make police think Franklin was still alive.
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34 Responses to “Reginald Potts Finally Charged with the Nailah Franklin Murder”
it is about time!
By Natasha on Dec 8, 2007
I remember when he left a message on your blog.
By Shelia on Dec 8, 2007
Yeah and he was going on and on about how it wasn’t him. Time tells.
By Miss Princess Dominique on Dec 8, 2007
Ain’t that something. This man is truly crazy. I watched that video of him talking to the cops and you could tell something was seriously wrong with him. Good riddence to him! Lock his butt up forever…
By rose on Dec 9, 2007
Dude posted a message on your blog? Do you still have the post?
By don on Dec 9, 2007
Hey Don it’s in the comments section of this post:
http://www.princessdominique.com/blog/2007/10/10/reginald-potts-is-the-possible-missing-link-to-nailah-franklin
By Miss Princess Dominique on Dec 9, 2007
Hey Dominique, and thanks. I am interested in reading what dude said.
By don on Dec 9, 2007
He made threats and she came up dead, so I can definitely see how he became a suspect. What I don’t understand is how he was able to kidnap her since the threats?
If you don’t mind Dominique, I will touch upon this post and his followed comments during your February blog tour.
The police subpeona these from you?
By don on Dec 9, 2007
I don’t mind and no the police haven’t contacted me. I know that they said someone called her at dinner it could have been him. I don’t know. Either way if they’ve got him I’m sure they have evidence.
By Miss Princess Dominique on Dec 9, 2007
Hey Princess Dominque,
Thank you for reposting Mr.Potts email.His email is extremely disturbing,cocky, and quite distasteful. Potts, has revealed to me and others,how grossly immature he is and has no regards for women. My heart goes out to all and any woman whose spent time with him and has him as a father of their children. Potts, by far, is deeply disturbed and needs professional help. Thumbs ups to “The Chicago Police Dept.!” Prayers to Ms. Franklins’ Family!! Their Lives Will Never Ever Be The Same!!
By Shirly on Dec 9, 2007
You know it’s really so sad Shirley because you can hate a woman without killing her or wanting to do her harm. I don’t for the life of me understand why just because I don’t want to be with you I’m supposed to end up dead over it.
By Miss Princess Dominique on Dec 9, 2007
No, I agree with you Dominique in the fact that he isn’t guilty. I wasn’t in dispute of that. I think it’s common sense for everyone that he killed this woman.
I was just wondering how once a man makes a threat towards a woman, especially in this day and age, the woman even allows the man to “get up on her” to snatch her. Maybe it’s just a female thing. Or some of the females thing. Because I know that after someone has made a “real threat” on my life, I bring attention to it.
That away, when the person who threatened my life approaches me, I will be able to stand in a court of law and say that it was him or me, Your Honor.
And I chose him.
I’ve said it before, if these females want to send a message to the world when it comes to sitautions like these, all they have to do is start putting these dudes in the ground.
I have two young daughters 10 & 8. I would hate for the day to come where one of them ends up missing and their ex- of then boyfriend is a real suspect in their disappearance…cause the day they find my daughter’s body is the day they find his entire family body.
Sorry for the rant but I just don’t understand this world we live in.
When they open another planet up, I’m GONE!
By don on Dec 9, 2007
Typo: I mean to say I believe he IS guilty.
By don on Dec 9, 2007
“I was just wondering how once a man makes a threat towards a woman, especially in this day and age, the woman even allows the man to “get up on her” to snatch her. Maybe it’s just a female thing. Or some of the females thing. Because I know that after someone has made a “real threat” on my life, I bring attention to it.”
The woman allows the man to get up on her? Respectfully asking, say what? Once someone has been snatched, that is not a voluntary act. That was against one’s will. Sometimes this line of thinking some kind of way blames the victim for getting killed.
This situation is more complicated than that. There are plenty of people who had protective orders and still got attacked. It’s a good idea to file a protection order. But a piece of paper does not equal physical or police protection either. Whether a person has a protective order or not does not determine a level of security. Until the police are able to document something, they can’t/won’t do anything. How many times have we heard of murder victims who had protection orders out on their stalkers/tormentors/abusers? Too many. They didn’t get a chance to stand in court and tell what happened.
Let the burden and full responsibility be placed on the one who killed. That person should be tried in court and sent to jail to pay for his crime.
By Aziza on Dec 10, 2007
I think you may have misread the post, Aziza. Or maybe I wrote it wrong.
I was just wondering how once a woman has been threatened…she doesn’t arm herself just in case the attacker attempts to step within a certain number of feet of her body.
A person really doesn’t have to have paperwork from the police department to protect themselves. So, if the dude grabs her…she lets him have a couple to his body.
He lets go off the woman.
That is why I wonder how dude was able to snatch her.
By don on Dec 10, 2007
Hi Don. I have a question. How can a woman protect herself? Some states and Washington, D.C. have gun laws in place. Some states won’t even allow you to carry mace. There is also the possibility that the victim in this case never believed that her attacker would do what he did. Maybe she only thought that they would only end up arguing and that was as far as things would go.
As a woman, I think about safety issues often. I try to keep my cell phone on me at all times. I try to be aware of my surroundings when I’m by myself. I inform family and friends about my whereabouts just in case. I try not to be out late at night. I try to always lock my doors. I check and recheck my doors and windows day and night. But still with all those precautions, there probably still is an opportunity out there for an attacker to strike. I know it is frustrating for us all to make sense of this case and others. But short of staying locked up at home 24-7, what else can we do to stay safe?
By Aziza on Dec 10, 2007
D in Chicago, I understand your point, but because they didn’t rush to judgment–the Police must have had evidence to arrest him now. It’s not just based on those emails because they’ve been floating around the net since the middle of the year. They have found some link that the public isn’t aware of.
By Miss Princess Dominique on Dec 10, 2007
Oh trust me I’m not saying I know what evidence they found, but you can’t legally hold or keep someone without evidence of some sort. What I was saying is that it’s probably something we (the public) have no idea of. Now if they don’t have evidence then they can’t legally hold him. I don’t want anybody to perish, Nailah or anybody else, but by the same token holding someone who isn’t guilty equally serves no true justice. I just want whatever the outcome is to be the truth. I’m waiting to see what happens just like everybody else.
By Miss Princess Dominique on Dec 10, 2007
I’m an advocate for fairness too. I’ll be keeping an eye on it.
By Miss Princess Dominique on Dec 10, 2007
Aziza, you have to stop that line of thought. Seriously.
If a man threatens you, please, please, please, for your own good, keep a gun in your hand.
You’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6.
I don’t think the jury convicts (a frightened woman). You?
By don on Dec 10, 2007
Ok, Princess Dominique I am admitting I was nieve…I am convinced now…here is the latest press:
In the last two days of Nailah Franklin’s life, Reginald Potts stalked her, lurking in the hallways and parking garage of her condo building, prosecutors alleged Monday.
Surveillance tape of Potts in the building, statements of witnesses, including his friends, and cell phone records all point to him as Franklin’s killer, authorities said.
» Click to enlarge image
Reginald Potts Jr.. left, is being held on first-degree murder charges in the death of 28-year-old Nailah Franklin, right.
(AP/Sun-Times files)
RELATED STORIES
• Cell records showed alibi was lie: police
• Potts’ record reveals violent past
Potts, 31, could face the death penalty if convicted of murdering Franklin, 28. At his first court appearance since being charged, he was ordered held without bail by Judge Don Panarese.
“It was premeditated,” First Assistant State’s Attorney Robert Milan said after the hearing. “This defendant went through a lot of trouble and time in order to take Ms. Franklin out to an abandoned area — a desolate area — and take her life.”
Franklin, a pharmaceutical rep for Eli Lilly, had an “on-and-off dating relationship” with Potts, Milan told Panarese. But Franklin tried to end it, sources said.
In early September, Franklin sent an e-mail to friends discussing Potts’ criminal past, Milan said. When Potts found out, he made threatening calls to her. “He told her he could have her erased,” Milan said.
On Sept. 10, Franklin filed a police report. She also told friends she was afraid of Potts and gave a friend her e-mail password “in case anything happened to her,” Milan said. She was last seen alive Sept. 18.
Potts told police he hadn’t seen Franklin since August. But several residents at Franklin’s University Village condo saw Potts “lurking in the victim’s hallway and in the parking garage on the evenings of Sept. 16th and 17th,” Milan said. Surveillance video from the building also shows Potts on Sept. 17 and 18, Milan said.
“That stuff is really hard to deal with — to know that she was considered prey,” said Franklin’s sister, Lehia Franklin Acox.
Cell phone records show Potts was within a half mile of Franklin’s condo on Sept. 18, in spite of his story he was elsewhere, Milan said.
Cell records also trace Potts heading south on the Dan Ryan shortly after 7 p.m., a time when he claimed he was at Target with friends, Milan said. The records show Potts and Franklin were both near 159th Street in Calumet City, where her pharmaceuticals and jewelry were later found, he said.
The cell records depict Potts and Franklin traveling east in Calumet City at the same time that night, and show them both in the area where Franklin’s body was later found, Milan said.
After dumping Franklin’s body, Potts kept her cell phone and drove her car to Hammond, Ind., where he left it, Milan said.
Potts then called one of his friends who was at Target and said “he was stranded and needed a ride,” Milan said. Two friends drove to Hammond to pick him up. On the way back, Potts made three aborted 911 calls from Franklin’s cell phone to make it look like she was still alive, Milan said.
By d in chicago on Dec 11, 2007
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/690595,CST-NWS-franklin11.article
By d in chicago on Dec 11, 2007
One thing that Reginald Potts said in his long email about his innocence, which I’ve saved on my computer, was DEFINITELY true. This was a senseless killing. How and why would someone kill someone because they sent out an email, detailing, a past list of criminal convictions? The list of convictions were true. But even if they were false, why would you kill someone because of that?
Some people today are just plain crazy. There is no way to analyze them because logical, reasonable, sane people, will never understand a nutcase.
This man has ruined his life and ended Nailah’s life - for nothing.
He reminds me of several men: Kevin Williams who killed Traci Todd, Rae Carruth who killed Cherica Adams, and many more men that I cannot even name for lack of time. And in each case, it was for a stupid azz reason.
By Chinawhite on Dec 11, 2007
Wasn’t Reginald Potts a tall skinny dude who drove a white Bentley? Wasn’t he also a friend of Antoine Walker? I thought he was seen at all of Toine’s events this summer, rollin’ with a bunch of other wannabe hoods, including a “GOING AWAY” party for “Rock” - the owner of the now shuttered Paje’s on North Milwaukee Ave. - at Michael Jordan’s 160BLUE…..isn’t “Rock” now serving 15yrs for some fed shit? Man!! Talk about “birds-of-a-feather”…
By Joker on Dec 11, 2007
Most abusers have a Narcisstic Personality Disorder - please read the below because most men that have killed women, had these personality traits:
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 1994, American Psychiatric Association
Edited by Rick Ross, March 2004
Is your abuser/controller a narcissistic personality?
Check the following criteria:
A pervasive pattern of grandiosity as seen through fantasy or behavior, need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts.
Beware of someone you are involved with has five (or more) of the following characteristics common amongst those diagnosed with “Narcissistic Personality Disorder.”
Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements).
Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
Believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions).
Requires excessive admiration.
Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations.
Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends.
Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her.
Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.
Note: These criteria are excerpted from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 1994, American Psychiatric Association.
By Chinawhite on Dec 11, 2007
Hi, Princess Dominique, and thank you so much for linking to my blog post. I can’t look at that beautiful woman’s picture without wondering what kind of scum would have ended her promising life.
Don, I think he managed to kidnap her because she was a whole 5′2″ and 108 lb and he was 6′ and outweighed her by at least 80 lb. Look at your little daughters and imagine when they grow up and get involved with some guy - he’s going to be bigger and stronger than them. He was lurking around her building. Maybe he had a gun. Maybe he rang her doorbell and she was expecting someone else and opened it and he just jammed his way in. Could you argue with a loaded gun? Then why do you expect tiny little Nailah to? She was raised in a good family, I don’t think she expected the man would try to kill her or violently attack her. And probably once he showed up with a gun or busted into her place, she was in shock, paralysed, or maybe even hurt - he apparently beat his wife bad enough to send her to the hospital, and choked and beat and kicked his other baby mamma. Not the kind of guy a small girl like Nailah could’ve fought off easily. Please remember that. And send your daughters to self-defense classes as soon as they’re old enough.
As for arming herself, it sounds good in theory, but in fact, a bigger stronger guy can take the gun away from a smaller, weaker woman, and that’s more dangerous than being armed because then they’re mad at you and armed - with your gun. As for the cell phone, his ex-wife tried to phone the cops when he attacked her - he just snatched the phone out of her hand and told her he could do a lot of damage to her before the cops ever showed up.
It’s disgusting that this guy would have destroyed the life of a talented beautiful promising woman, and then tried to smear her reputation all over the internet and think he could lie his way out of it. It sounds as if the cops did their homework well.
I’ve been following her case since she was first reported missing. Feel free to visit my site. In the search box at the top left, enter Nailah Franklin and you will see all the posts about her. Poor woman. I hope her sad death will force the community to look more carefully at the whole issue of domestic violence and the mistreatment of women.
By thepoliticalcat on Dec 12, 2007
I am so happy this dude was causght. He was trying so hard to prove it wasn’t him and something like his cell phone gave it all away. Man technology is a all telling Bitch!! But you gotta luv her though!
By Mel on Dec 12, 2007
Such a beautiful promising Nailah with a loser like Mr. potts
I do believe he has multiple personalities. Reggie will probably get life without possibility of parole. I think the prosecutor will push for the death penalty, but he probably will get life.
My prayers go out to the Franklin family.
By pinkbubbles on Dec 12, 2007
Its so interesting to look at the words of a murderer as he attempts to obsfucate. I’ve also found it interesting that Mary Mitchell has not written a follow up to her paen to Chicago’s Least Wanted– Reggie Potts.
If you deconstruct the defense given by Potts, you will find holes so large you could drive a truck thru it.
Quickly–because I have finals– Potts in his interview w/Mitchell, references his escape from FBI custody as when he escaped from a federal building! Mitchell never once indentified him as what he was– a career criminal. I spent my 20s getting an education–
Potts apparently spent his running criminal enterprises, stealing cars, engaging in mortgage fraud, making babies and not taking care of them, having multiple sexual partners at once, threatening womenwith whom he had realtionships with– and his word is supposed to be trusted?
And the worst aspect of this case is the manner in which people have referred to Nailah– that she was stupid to date a thug and why didn’t she resist. From the few details that have leaked out, she DIDN”T know he was a career criminal– there is no reason a young professional with a college degree and raised in a decent family would knowingly associate with a known criminal.
Associating with a known felon could possibly have jeopardized her job as a pharmaceutical rep. The proprietary information they have, the drugs they carry are all under strict control
As for her ‘failure’ to resist– that is mere speculation and it seems that he was plotting against her for several days. Nailah was most likely embarassed she had ever become involved with this multiple felon and didn’t want to bring attention to her problem. But NOT being a criminal or having a criminal mind, she would have never conceived that a man she thought she was involved with would stalk her, plot her demise then carry it out.
So for all of you out there who beleive you would react differently, I hope you never have the opportunity to find out the answer to that dilemma.
By Lynn on Dec 12, 2007
True. You don’t wan tot have to find out.
By Miss Princess Dominique on Dec 12, 2007
No one can blame this young woman for her own deat, she had the right to end the relationship w/out harm coming to her. I just hate this happened.
By Lamb17th on Dec 13, 2007
This story really pisses me off because situations like these, where women are seriously abused and most times murdered, serves only as proof that our society is one that perpetuates degradation and violence against women. Just listen to the music on the radio and I’ll bet in under an hour, you can give me at least 5 songs that say something about a woman being a hoe. In addition, look at the programs on television that have up to 20 women vying for some guy’s attention by trying to see who can be the biggest hoe (see “Flavor of Love”, “Who wants to marry a millionaire”, etc.). And that only helps to make us as women look like gold-digging, booty-poppin, curse word-slinging skanks.
Now, i’m not simply trying to put Nailah’s death off on society, I am just giving an example of what breeds this sort of hatred towards women. As a gender, we are not respected and we are still only thought of as a secondary to the seemingly more dominant male species. With this, we have to take into account and learn how to protect ourselves by any means necessary as women. I call it the “Malcolm X” approach for women.
It is understood that there is probably not much that Nailah could have done in hindsight to protect herself, but if her life does nothing more, we as women should use her situation as an example and arm ourselves. And that means, anything from taking self defense classes, carrying some sort of weapon at all times, moving to a more secure area or with family members, getting a roommate, carpooling, whatever.
If you are a small woman, take that into account. Anything can happen at any time to anyone, but on average, female murder victims in cases of abduction and stalking are usually smaller women. (Note: if you are under 5′5″, and less than 120lbs, you are small.) Therefore, ALWAYS carry a weapon and/or make sure your self-defense is seriously top-notch. Next, and probably the BEST advice I can give is “go with your gut”. If you feel even a twinge of suspicion or nervousness about a guy you are dating or something, act upon your notion. I mean, really, how many times do you read about these men having histories of violence and then some witness saying “I had a feeling that he was a psycho” or something? Often enough dammit. The senselessness needs to end here.
Another tip, get a background check on them foos! So the hell what if they take offense. If you have been seeing someone for a minute and you are thinking about getting a bit closer, take the necessary steps to covering your own back. It might turn out that he is not a psycho killer, but maybe he IS an identity thief or something. Girl, save your life AND your credit score!
But really though, just like putting on a condom to protect yourself from deadly diseases, you must take the same and more caution to protect yourself from harm in dealing with domestic violence and possible death from some dude you are dating, married to, or used to be involved with. You should not have to suffer and/or die because his mommy never gave him enough motherly attention or his first girlfriend cheated on him in the 6th grade.
God bless all my nubian sisters (as well as those of the fairer complextion). You are all queens; treat yourself accordingly.
By V on Dec 13, 2007
this is so sad but he i s look good but he need to be in jail foe a long time cause there family took a lot a time and effort to find her and that is bogus:cry::cry:
By shae shae on Jan 8, 2008
I have followed this case since first hearings he was missing when her sister sent out a message to all sorors asking if they knew anything to help. She was truly a beautiful young lady with a promising future, leaving all those that love her to wonder what would have or could have been. I think his attempt to dehumanize her and humilate her through leaving that long drown out “i am as guilty as they come” message and leaving her body naked for one last humiliation was a true tell tale sign of what this guy is really about. I wish he did this in Texas cause no doubt his behind would be fried. I just wish continued strentgh and and all that is required to deal with a tragedy like this, to her family.
By Bijee on Jan 26, 2008