Wayne Spencer Franks, infamously dubbed “the Devil’s chosen one,” died in his prison cell just months before he could potentially apply for parole. Franks, who was serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of an elderly widow, Mabel Whitelam, was found dead at HMP Wakefield on December 5, 2022. An inquest has revealed that the 47-year-old died from heart disease, with a large dose of dihydrocodeine, an opioid pain medication, found in his system.
Franks was convicted of the horrific murder of 82-year-old Mabel Whitelam, whom he stabbed 22 times after she opened the door to him on March 11, 2003. At the time of the crime, Franks was in his late 20s and struggling with a heroin addiction. Following the murder, he ransacked Whitelam’s home in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, and stole £80. He was found guilty of the murder after a trial at Hull Crown Court in 2004 and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years.
