Murderer called 'the Devil's chosen one' dies in Monster Mansion

A killer who called himself 'the Devil's chosen one' was found dead in a maximum security Yorkshire prison just months before he may have been eligible to apply for parole, an inquest hearing was told.

Wayne Spencer Franks was in his late 20s when he stabbed elderly widow Mabel Whitelam 22 times after she opened the door to him in March 2003. After killing Mabel, heroin addict Franks ransacked her home and stole £80. Franks had denied Mabel's murder but was found guilty after a trial. Police believe he targeted Mabel on her pension day.

At the time, his defence barrister said he thought Franks was suffering from a psychopathic disorder at the time of the killing and represented a "grave and immediate danger to others," it was reported in 2004.

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Before carrying out the murder, Franks was said to have a long history of criminal behaviour. Franks, 47, formerly of Grimsby, was found dead on his bed in his cell at the maximum security Wakefield prison on December 5, 2022, having taken a large dose of dihydrocodeine which it is thought he had acquired from another inmate as it had not been prescribed to him.

The cause of his death was found to be heart disease with the dihydrocodeine having a contributory effect. It was believed that he had been dead for some time as there was evidence of rigor mortis. A number of drugs were found in his system including one used for treating Alzheimer's disease, a condition that Franks did not have.

An inquest jury in Wakefield heard that Franks was known to be a supplier and user of illicit substances in the prison including using drugs prescribed to other prisoners. A prison GP told the inquest hearing that Franks had an extensive history of abusing illicit medication in prison and had been abusing substances from the age of 11.

Franks had originally been treated in Rampton secure mental hospital amid claims that he had a psychopathic disorder but had later been moved to Wakefield prison.

In a statement, Franks' daughter said her father had stopped going to school at the age of 13 and she didn't think he had ever worked. She believed he was due to be eligible for parole, in March 2023, having completed almost 20 years in custody. She had only visited him a couple of times but had kept in touch through letters and telephone calls.

She had spoken to Franks a day before he was found dead and said he "seemed his normal self". She did not raise any concerns about her father's care or treatment in prison.

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An investigation into Franks' death found no suspicious circumstances. The inquest was told that Wakefield had made improvements to security to make it harder for prisoners to get hold of drugs including prescribed medicines. The new procedures had seen a significant reduction in the trading of medication.

The inquest heard details from the Prisons Ombudsman who carried out an investigation into the death of Franks. The Ombudsman said Franks had been given a life sentence for murder with a minimum of 20 years, most of which had been served in Wakefield.

The Ombudsman said Franks had been a known 'trader' in prescribed medicines as well as a user. Coroner Oliver Longstaff told the jury there was no evidence that Franks had taken his own life or any evidence that amounted to criticism of the prison. He said it was likely that Franks had obtained the dihydrocodeine in the prison.

The jury concluded that Franks had died as a result of misadventure, in other words his death was caused by a deliberate act that had unintended consequences.