Lucio Franco - A man in Lufkin, Texas, shot his wife and their four children to death in their mobile home before killing himself., Sheriff Kent Henson said the shootings may have been prompted by marital problems.

Lucio Franco, 24, killed his wife, 21-year-old Maria Franco, and their children with a shotgun, then shot himself in the head. The children ranged in age from 10 months to 5 years.

Relatives told authorities that Lucio Franco was prone to violence. "They told me, 'If she's dead, he did it,'" said sheriff's investigator Tony Galloway. "I asked them if there was any possibility it could be someone other than the husband. They said, 'No, he'd been beating on her, and that this had been happening for a long time.'" Lufkin is 115 miles northeast of Houston.

Family found dead in murder-suicide

Star Tribune: Newspaper of the Twin Cities

January 26, 2001

A man shot his wife and their four children to death in their home, then committed suicide, police said Thursday. Sheriff Kent Henson said Lucio Franco, 24, killed his wife, 21-year-old Maria Franco, and their children, then shot himself. The children ranged in age from 10 months to 5 years. The shootings occurred Tuesday; the bodies were discovered Wednesday night. Relatives told authorities that Lucio Franco was prone to violence. "They told me, `If she's dead, he did it,' ".

Police suspect murder, suicide in 6 deaths

The Dominion Post

January 26, 2001

LUFKIN, Texas -- A man shot his wife and their four children to death in their mobile home, then committed suicide, police said Thursday.

Sheriff Kent Henson said the shootings may have been prompted by marital problems.

Henson said Lucio Franco, 24, killed his wife, 21-year-old Lupe Franco, and their children with a shotgun, then shot himself in the head.

The children ranged in age from 8 months to 6 years.

The shootings occurred Tuesday morning, but the bodies were not discovered until Wednesday night, when a neighbor called police after not seeing the family for two days, the sheriff said.

Family of six found dead; police suspect murder-suicide

January 26, 2001

LUFKIN, Texas - An East Texas man shot his wife and four children to death while they lay in bed and then killed himself in an apparent murder suicide, authorities said Thursday.

Angelina County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jim Casper said Lucio Franco Sr., 24, shot his wife, 21-year-old Maria Franco, and their four children with a shotgun before shooting himself in the head.

Casper said the bodies of the mother and children were found on a bed in the mobile home in a rural area about 10 miles east of Lufkin, which is about 115 miles northeast of Houston. The father was on the floor nearby.

The children were identified as 5-year-old Lucio Franco Jr.; 4-year-old Diana; 2-year-old Juana; and 10-month-old Isaac.

Casper said interviews indicate the couple had ongoing marital and financial problems that may have been a motive for the shootings.

"From the investigation and everything we've seen, including the information we received to what we found at the seen, it's all consistent with a murder-suicide," Casper said, adding that the husband's wound and position of his gun also indicated he killed himself.

The case is closed unless some extraordinary evidence presents itself, Casper added.

Despite reports of spousal abuse from relatives, deputies say they never had been dispatched to the Franco home before. Pedro Sanchez, the neighbor who discovered the shootings, said he wasn't aware of severe problems.

"It's hard to understand what motivated him or what made him do something like this," Sanchez said, fighting back tears. "He wasn't aggressive or violent."

Sanchez ran an electrical extension cord to the Francos, two trailers down, after their power was cut when Franco wasn't getting enough roofing work. When the family's gas service was cut, Sanchez said he allowed them to bathe at his place, and his teen daughter Nancy often baby-sat the children.

The last time Sanchez saw the Francos was Monday night. He said the father showed concern for a throat infection his baby was suffering.

Officials said an autopsy was performed Thursday afternoon on Lucio Franco to determine if he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Casper said the shootings occurred Tuesday morning but the bodies weren't discovered until Wednesday night when Sanchez called 911 after not seeing the family for two days.

After knocking on the door, Sanchez and his daughter peered through a window in the Franco home and observed a body on the floor. Returning with a flashlight, Sanchez said he confirmed it was his friend and reported the scene at 9 p.m.

Naomi Baker, manager at a nearby Dairy Queen, said Maria Franco worked as the manager's first assistant for at least a year and a half but had recently turned in her resignation because her husband wanted her to quit.

"She was very easygoing, and she loved her kids," Baker said. "She was just a very well-liked person. I'm still kind of numb."

Police said neighbors in the trailer park, a 90-home subdivision dotted with litter and disabled vehicles outside of Lufkin, did not report hearing gunshots Tuesday morning. However, Casper added that gunfire in the surrounding woods is common.

Jesus Gomez, principal at Lucio Jr.'s school, said his parents regularly attended parent-teacher conferences and seemed very interested in their son's well-being and progress.

Lucio Franco Sr. picked up his son from school on Monday, Gomez said. "Lucio was very affectionate toward his dad," he said.

Meanwhile, the Lufkin school district has dispatched several counselors to the Garrett campus.

"This is a very somber time here," Gomez said. "It's a shocker for all of us when a child is killed. We'll do what we can to cope, and hopefully we can all get through this."

Man Kills Himself, Wife and 4 Children

January 26, 2001

LUFKIN - When Lucio Franco Sr. and his family fell on hard times because hs work as a roofer was sporadic, neighbor Pedro Sanchez tried to help his friend anyway possible.

Sanchez snaked a white electrical extension cord to the Francos, two trailers down, after their power was cut off in December.

Sanchez let them bathe in his trailer when their gas service was cut. The Sanchezes often baby-sat the Francos' four children while Franco and his wife worked.

Sanchez and his daughter discovered the bodies of Franco, his wife and their four children Wednesday night.

Police said Franco's financial and marital problems proved too much as he shot his wife and four children to death while they lay in bed and then killed himself Tuesday morning.

"This is something you just can't comprehend," Sanchez said, fighting back tears. "We talked about problems with paying bills, just like everyone. But he never showed signs the problems weighed him down."

Sanchez and his daughter made the grisly discovery after they had gone to the Francos' trailer to lend them an electric skillet so they could cook their food.

Angelina County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jim Casper said Franco, 24, shot his wife, 21-year-old Maria, and their four children with a shotgun before shooting himself in the head in their mobile home in a rural area about 10 miles east of Lufkin, which is about 115 miles northeast of Houston.

The children were identified as 5-year-old Lucio Franco Jr.; 4-year-old Diana; 2-year-old Juana; and 10-month-old Isaac.

Casper said interviews indicate the couple had ongoing marital and financial problems that may have been a motive for the shootings.

Police said neighbors in the trailer park, a 90-home subdivision dotted with litter and disabled vehicles, did not report hearing gunshots Tuesday morning.

However, Casper added that gunfire in the surrounding woods is common.

The case is closed unless some extraordinary evidence presents itself, Casper added.

Despite reports of spousal abuse from relatives, deputies say they never had been dispatched to the Franco home before.

Sanchez said he never saw any problems between Franco and his wife.

"He was a good person. He wasn't aggressive. We never heard them fight," Sanchez said as he looked at the Francos' cluttered front yard, which had a swing set and various toys strewn about the grass and a beat up Chevy Caprice Classic resting on wooden blocks in the driveway.

Mendy Bishop, who lives across the street from the Francos, said that although she didn't know them too well, they seemed like a happy family.

"At night, you could hear their kids playing as (Franco and his wife) sat outside watching them," she said.

The last time Sanchez saw Franco was Monday night. He said Franco was concerned about a throat infection his baby was suffering.

Officials said an autopsy was performed Thursday afternoon on Lucio Franco to determine if he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Naomi Baker, manager at a nearby Dairy Queen, said Maria Franco worked as the manager's first assistant for at least a year and a half but had recently quit.

"She was just a very well-liked person. I'm still kind of numb," Baker said.

Jesus Gomez, principal at Lucio Jr.'s school, said his parents regularly attended parent-teacher conferences and seemed very interested in their son's well-being and progress.

Pedro Sanchez, a neighbor, holds a picture of the Franco family showing Lucio Franco Sr. 24; Lucio Jr., 5; Maria, 21; Isaac, 10 months; Diana, 4; and Juana, 2.