John Scott pleaded guilty after Gary Franke was found shot and buried behind his South Maple Street home.

LANCASTER, Ohio — A Fairfield County judge sentenced John Scott to life in prison after he admitted killing 81-year-old Gary Franke, whose body was found in a shallow grave behind his Lancaster home on Aug. 9, 2025.

The sentence ends the main case against Scott, 45, but not the full prosecution tied to Franke’s death. Scott pleaded guilty to murder with a gun specification, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse. Prosecutors said the killing followed yard work Scott had done for Franke and grew out of a plan to steal from him.

Police first came to the 700 block of South Maple Street for a welfare check after Franke failed to answer texts from friends and colleagues. The call was treated at first as a missing person case. Officers searched the property and found Franke’s body in a wooded area behind the home. The Fairfield County Coroner’s Office later ruled his death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound. Fairfield County Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Witt said the case changed fast once officers reached the property. “Gary Franke was a cherished friend to many and a man who loved his community,” Witt said after Scott’s plea and sentence. “In a senseless act of violence, John Scott took his life and created a void that can never be filled.”

Investigators said Scott and Franke knew each other, and police have said the killing was not random. Court records described Scott as someone who had done work at Franke’s home the day before the shooting. After officers interviewed him, Scott admitted that he shot Franke, left the area and later returned with Holly McDaniel, his girlfriend, according to case records described by investigators. Police said the two moved the body and covered it with brush in the wooded part of Franke’s property. Scott was arrested within hours of the discovery. McDaniel, 45, of Columbus, also was arrested and charged in the case. Her charges have included abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and obstructing justice as the case moved through court.

The case drew attention in Lancaster because of Franke’s reputation in the neighborhood and because of the place where police found him. Neighbors described him as a man who helped people who were trying to recover from hard periods in their lives. Some said he gave people work on his properties, bought meals for people in need and let neighborhood children ride on his golf cart. His obituary said he believed in second chances, even when they came with risk. Neighbor Troy Seiple said Franke took pride in helping people get their lives and credit back in order. That history became part of the public story because police said Franke and Scott had known each other for roughly 30 years.

Scott’s guilty plea reduced the need for a murder trial and moved the case directly to punishment. A life sentence with parole eligibility after 18 years means Scott must serve at least that period before the parole process can begin. The sentence does not promise release. It gives the state parole board the authority to review his record, the crime, prison conduct, victim impact statements and other factors before deciding whether he should remain in prison. Scott was held in the Fairfield County jail after sentencing while awaiting transfer to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Prosecutors said he will answer for Franke’s death for the rest of his life.

McDaniel’s case remained the open branch of the prosecution. Authorities have said she was not a stranger to Scott or Franke and that she became involved after the shooting. Court documents described statements in which McDaniel told investigators that Scott had spoken about stealing from Franke and killing him before the incident. Her pending case means more hearings could still place the events of Aug. 8 and Aug. 9 back before a judge. The allegations against her center on what happened after Franke was shot, including the movement and concealment of his body. She has not been sentenced in connection with the case.

The South Maple Street block sits in a residential part of Lancaster, a city southeast of Columbus where older homes, yards and wooded spaces sit close together. Police said officers were dispatched to the property at 1:03 p.m. and found Franke’s body at about 4:31 p.m. By 8:05 p.m., investigators had identified and interviewed Scott and McDaniel. That timeline became central to the public account of the case because it showed how quickly a welfare check became a homicide investigation. It also showed why officials described the killing as targeted. Investigators said the victim and the suspects knew one another before the shooting.

Franke’s death left neighbors talking not only about violence, but about trust. The police account said Scott had recently worked for Franke. The obituary and neighbors’ remarks showed that Franke often gave people chances to earn money and rebuild. Those two facts shaped much of the local reaction. Residents said they knew Franke as generous and visible around the neighborhood. The court case described a far different final contact, one in which an act of help was followed by robbery, a fatal shooting and an attempt to hide the body within the victim’s own property.

Scott’s case now moves from Fairfield County court records to the state prison system. McDaniel’s unresolved case remains the next milestone, with future hearings expected to determine whether she is convicted, acquitted or reaches a plea agreement.

Author note: Last updated June 16, 2026.