Gary Franke’s body was found hours after officers entered his South Maple Street property.
LANCASTER, Ohio — Police searching for Gary Franke during a welfare check on Aug. 9, 2025, found the 81-year-old shot and buried in a wooded area behind his home, turning a missing person report into a homicide case.
The discovery led within hours to the arrests of John Scott and Holly McDaniel, two people police said knew Franke before his death. Months later, Scott pleaded guilty and received a life sentence with parole eligibility after 18 years. McDaniel’s case remained pending, leaving one part of the case still active in Fairfield County.
The case began when Franke did not respond to messages from people who expected to hear from him. Officers were sent to his home in the 700 block of South Maple Street, near East Main Street, shortly after 1 p.m. Police searched the house and property, including land behind the residence. At about 4:31 p.m., officers located Franke’s body in a shallow grave in a wooded area. The Fairfield County Coroner’s Office later determined that Franke died from a gunshot wound and ruled the death a homicide. Lancaster police said the killing was not random because Franke, Scott and McDaniel knew one another.
By evening, investigators had focused on Scott, then 44, of Laurelville, and McDaniel, then 45, of Columbus. Police said they identified and interviewed both suspects by about 8:05 p.m. Scott was accused of shooting Franke, and McDaniel was accused of helping after the killing. Early charges included aggravated murder against Scott and abuse of a corpse against McDaniel. The case later went to a Fairfield County grand jury, which returned a broader indictment. Scott faced counts that included aggravated murder, murder, robbery, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse. McDaniel faced charges that included tampering with evidence, obstructing justice and gross abuse of a corpse.
Investigators said the day before the welfare check mattered. Court records said Scott had done yard work for Franke on Aug. 8. After the work, prosecutors said, Scott decided to rob Franke and killed him in the process. Scott later admitted shooting Franke after being advised of his rights, according to records described in court coverage. Police said Scott left after the shooting and came back with McDaniel. The two then moved Franke’s body and covered it with brush in the wooded area. The account placed the shooting, the attempted concealment and the later police search all within the victim’s own property.
Officials also pointed to statements that described planning before the killing. Court documents said McDaniel told investigators that Scott had earlier talked about stealing from Franke and killing him. That allegation became part of the grand jury case and helped explain why authorities called the death targeted. The full motive was not laid out as a single simple fact in public accounts, but prosecutors tied the killing to robbery. Police have not described the death as a break-in by a stranger. Instead, they described a case involving known people, prior contact and work done at the home one day before Franke was found dead.
The legal path shifted when Scott entered guilty pleas. He admitted to murder with a gun specification, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse. The plea removed the risk and time of a trial and gave prosecutors a conviction in Franke’s death. A judge sentenced Scott to life in prison without parole eligibility for 18 years. Fairfield County Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Witt said Scott was taken into custody quickly and would spend the rest of his life answering for the crime. Scott remained in the county jail after sentencing while awaiting transport to state prison.
McDaniel’s case followed a different track. Her charges did not accuse her of firing the gun in the public accounts, but investigators said she helped conceal what had happened. The allegations against her focus on the period after Franke was killed, including the movement of his body and the effort to cover it with brush. Her pending case means some facts may still be tested in court if she goes to trial. It also means the final record of the case is not complete, even though Scott’s guilty plea settled the murder charge against him.
Franke’s name became widely known around Lancaster after police released the first details. Neighbors said he was known for kindness, charity and small acts that made him visible in daily life. He was remembered as a man who helped people get back on their feet and offered jobs on his real estate properties. His obituary said he often bought meals for people in need and believed people deserved chances to turn their lives around. Those descriptions stood beside the criminal allegations, creating a painful contrast between how Franke lived and how prosecutors said he died.
The scene on South Maple Street also shaped the local reaction. A welfare check is often a routine call, but this one brought detectives, the coroner and state investigators to a residential property. Police said the Lancaster Police Detective Bureau, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Fairfield County Coroner’s Office all worked on the case. The quick change from search to homicide investigation placed the neighborhood under sudden scrutiny. Residents who expected a missing person search instead watched as police treated the wooded area behind the home as a crime scene.
The public record now shows two tracks. Scott has been convicted and sentenced to life, with the earliest parole review possible only after 18 years. McDaniel remains the next unresolved part of the case, with future court proceedings expected to address the charges tied to concealing Franke’s body.
Author note: Last updated June 16, 2026.