Frank Craig, a rancher from Modesto, California, was involved in a terrible car accident in 2002, and his loved ones thought it was just bad luck. But only two years after the tragedy, he was back on the road when his car struck an irrigation canal, instantly killing him. The documentary “Dateline: Deadly Current” details the terrible incident and shows how the police launched a homicide inquiry even though the locals thought it was an accident. Let’s explore the specifics of Frank’s awful murder to learn more, shall we?
How Did Frank Craig Die?
Frank Craig, a local of Modesto, California, was 85 when he was killed. Most individuals who knew him characterised him as a self-made millionaire rancher who was diligent and compassionate. Frank was passionate about collecting old agricultural equipment in addition to helping others and making new friends. He even had the ambition of founding an agricultural museum, and he was determined to use his wealth to fulfil this desire. Frank had no idea, though, that a crime motivated by hate and avarice would soon take his life.
About two years prior to his passing, in 2002, Frank was a passenger in a pickup truck that overturned after colliding with a roadside tree. Surprisingly, the driver managed to escape the collision unscathed, despite the fact that the rancher needed to be admitted to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. Additionally, the authorities found that Frank’s side’s airbag was disconnected, but they ultimately determined that the incident was an accident. After the accident, life continued as usual, and soon the residents of the town had forgotten about it.
Frank even anticipated the completion of his agricultural museum during this time, and the majority of his friends claimed he was in love with life. On April 22, 2004, the 85-year-old suffered a second tragedy when the truck he was riding in slammed into an irrigation canal. Although the driver was able to safely evacuate the vehicle, the passenger side airbag continued to malfunction, and Frank’s injuries proved to be too serious, and he soon went tragically. There was naturally no discussion of a homicide investigation as he had passed away from wounds incurred in a car accident until additional evidence showed a diabolical conspiracy.
Who Killed Frank Craig?
When the authorities did start looking into Frank’s death, they extensively inspected the spot and even combed the neighbourhood looking for witnesses, but they were unsuccessful. But a handful of his friends reported that the 85-year-old was quite close to the local preacher Doug Porter, who had full power to use the rancher’s riches to fund the construction of the agriculture museum. Authorities quickly learned that Doug Porter was the driver in both cases, which led to the discovery of another remarkable link between the vehicle accidents.
Doug asserted, however, that he was not involved in any wrongdoing when questioned, and the police were forced to release him since there was insufficient proof. It’s interesting to note that he seemed unaffected by the police questioning because he later gave a eulogy at Frank’s burial. Doug, however, asserted that Frank, a non-believer, had embraced God in the days preceding his passing during the eulogy. People questioned how the preacher could have known when the 85-year-old would pass away, which made this statement look dubious.
A few of the rancher’s family members started scratching their heads at that point before remembering how Doug and Frank’s friendship had degenerated in the weeks prior to the murder. In fact, a witness who spoke with police said he had overheard the victim and Doug arguing over the phone. Additionally, a number of people asserted that the preacher was abusing Frank’s funds for his own gain and did not even care about setting the groundwork for the alleged museum. The fact that Doug had stolen close to a million dollars from the victim was widely known, and the detectives believed this to be the killer’s motivation.
When the authorities learned that the preacher had a reason to kill, they disassembled the car that had hit the irrigation canal and sent it for analysis. Results later confirmed that the passenger side airbag had been manually modified and that someone had set it up so that it would not deploy in the event of a collision. Additionally, even though Doug was able to sell the victim’s residence soon after he passed away, the authorities also discovered strong evidence that Doug had stolen money from the 85-year-old. Doug Porter was therefore detained and accused of murder after there was sufficient evidence to support a homicide prosecution.
Where is Doug Porter Now?
Doug Porter asserted his innocence and entered a not-guilty plea when he was first brought before the court. Nevertheless, the jury found him guilty on one count of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, one count of embezzlement, and one act of elder abuse. Doug received a life sentence without the possibility of parole as a consequence of 2008. He is still imprisoned at the California State Prison in Sacramento, California, as of this writing.
