Dad gets 50 years for shooting wife to death in front of teen daughter; had previous history of DV and "custody disputes" (Temecula, California)

Note that the narrative explantion here behind this murder is pretty convoluted and hard to put together. We know, obviously, that dad WILBERT FRANK JR., murdered his wife in front of their teenage daughter. That's simple enough.

Reading a bit more carefully, we see that this separated couple were meeting so they could "exchange winter clothes and toys for his children." So obviously, Daddy STILL HAD ACCESS TO THE KIDS, or this exchange would have been pointless, right?

Reading further on, we see that Daddy has a history of domestic violence against BOTH THE WIFE AND KIDS--but STILL HAD CONTACT/ACCESS ANYWAY. The daughter's so-called denials don't really mean much in this context; abuse victims are frequently pressured to recant. And the proof is in the pudding. Daddy really was a violent man who eventually shot and killed his wife in cold blood.

And we also see that Daddy continually used a "child custody dispute" to further harrass and control the mother. It's not clear here whether Mom really "denied" him visits or not, since we only have Daddy's word for it here. But it seems to me, in retrospect, that if she had, she no doubt understood that Daddy was a dangerous and volatile man--and his actions proved that this assessment was absolutely correct. Too bad nobody gives mothers credit for their experiences and judgements BEFORE they are killed by their abusers.

The irony, of course, is that Mom was murdered WHILE SHE WAS FACILITATING THIS FATHER'S ACCESS TO THE KIDS. Not blocking or denying visitation. But I'm sure all the FR forums are finding a way to blame Mom anyway. They always do. In their twisted world, criminals are never responsible for their own actions.

http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/hemet/hemet-headlines-index/20120116-san-jacinto-man-gets-50-years-for-murder.ece

SAN JACINTO: Man gets 50 years for murder
BY JOHN ASBURY The Press Enterprise
STAFF WRITER

A Temecula man was sentenced to 50 years to life last week for shooting his wife to death in front of their teenage daughter outside a San Jacinto Mexican restaurant.

The sentence virtually ensures Wilbert Frank Jr., 50, will die in prison.

He was convicted last month of murdering Sylvia Frank, his estranged wife, who had met him Nov. 30, 2010, to exchange winter clothes and toys for his children. The couple had separated that August, and Wilbert Frank had moved from Temecula to Hemet.

Frank was caught on video pulling a shotgun from the trunk of his car instead of toys. His daughter ran inside seeking help, but Sylvia Frank died in the parking lot of Santana’s Restaurant off State Street in San Jacinto.

During the sentencing hearing Friday in a French Valley courtroom, Wilbert Frank and family members made statements before the judgment was read, according to court records. Frank faced a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life and another 25-year sentence for committing the murder with a gun.

Before the case was presented to a jury, Frank’s defense attorney’s tried to argue that Frank was involuntarily intoxicated by carbon monoxide poisoning from a malfunctioning fireplace in the home he moved to after the separation, and therefore he was unaware of his actions when he killed his wife.

The judge did not allow the jury to hear the argument, calling it irrelevant and too far-fetched.

Prosecutors said Frank had a history of domestic violence with his wife and children. In a 2008 case, he was convicted of misdemeanor spousal battery but acquitted of a felony charge after his daughter admitted in court that she exaggerated a domestic violence report to police.

Defense attorneys told the jury that since the separation, the couple was locked in a bitter custody dispute and Wilbert Frank was continuously denied visits with his children.

The defense admitted he shot and killed Sylvia Frank, but asked the jury to find him not guilty of murder.