SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The Oregon Department of Corrections has dedicated a conference room at its Salem headquarters to slain prison director Michael Francke.
The 42-year-old Francke was fatally stabbed outside headquarters in January 1989, less than two years after he was appointed by then-Gov. Neil Goldschmidt.
Frank Gable was convicted of the killing and sentenced to life in prison. Doubts about his guilt have swirled since the conviction, and a federal public defender is trying to reopen the case.
Francke’s older brother Patrick spoke at Friday’s dedication ceremony, saying he and the public defender hope to “reverse a miscarriage of justice and free a man we feel was wrongly convicted.”
Besides the dedication of the conference room, a memorial monument and bench were placed outside the entrance to the Dome Building.
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