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Singing
star
Sam
Cooke
was
shot
to
death
early
Friday
by
a
motel
manager
after
he
burst
into
her
apartment
in
pursuit
of
a
girl
he
had
met
in
a
bar.
Cooke,
32,
whose
latest
hit
record,
Cousin
of
Mine,
boosted
his
total
sales
past
10
million,
was
clad
in
only
a
topcoat
[dresscoat].
Lisa
[Elisa]
Boyer,
22,
told
police
that
Cooke
kidnapped
her
after
she
accepted
an
offer
of
a
ride
from
a
bar.
He
forced
her
to
go
to
the
motel,
she
said,
and
she
grabbed
most
of
his
clothes
and
fled
when
he
went
to
the
bathroom.
The
motel
manager,
Mrs.
Bertha
Lee
Franklin,
55,
said
Cooke
kicked
in
her
door,
accused
her
of
harboring
Miss
Boyer
and
struck
her
twice
with
his
fist.
She
fired
three
shots.
One
hit
Cooke
in
the
chest.
The
girl
was
found
in
a
nearby
telephone
booth
after
the
shooting.
Mrs.
Franklin
was
not
held.
Cookes
wife,
Barbara,
29,
was
hysterical
when
police
went
to
his
home
in
Hollywood.
With
her
were
two
small
children.
A
third
child,
Tracy,
18
months,
drowned
in
the
swimming
pool
at
their
home
last
June.
Source:
Milwaukee
Sentinel,
December
12,
1964.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=03FQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yhAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3853%2C18725
10
Los
Angeles,
December
10,
1964,
9
p.m.
Everybody
in
Martonis
Italian
restaurant
had
their
eye
on
Sam
Cooke.
He
was
having
dinner
with
producer
Al
Schmitt
and
Schmitts
wife,
Joan.
Well-wishers
kept
stopping
by
the
table,
interrupting
their
conversation.
Sam,
whod
already
had
three
or
four
martinis,
eventually
got
pulled
away
to
the
bar.
When
their
orders
arrived,
Al
Schmitt
went
to
get
Sam
and
found
him
laughing
it
up
with
a
group
of
friends
and
music
business
associates.
Sam
was
buying,
and
he
flashed
a
wad
of
bills,
what
looked
like
thousands
of
dollars.
He
told
Al
that
he
and
his
wife
should
go
ahead
with
their
meal.
At
a
booth
near
the
bar,
there
was
a
baby-faced
22-year-old
Asian
girl,
sitting
with
three
guys.
Sam
caught
her
eye.
Hed
seen
her
around.
One
of
the
guys,
a
guitar
player
Sam
knew,
introduced
them.
The
girls
name
was
Elisa
Boyer.
Before
long,
the
pair
were
cozied
up
in
a
booth.
They
left
Martonis
around
1
a.m.
in
Sams
brand
new
red
Ferrari
and
headed
to
a
nightclub
called
PJs,
where
they
were
going
to
meet
the
Schmitts.
By
the
time
they
arrived,
the
Schmitts
were
gone.
In
the
club,
Sam
got
into
a
heated
argument
with
some
guy
who
was
hitting
on
Boyer.
She
asked
Sam
to
take
her
home,
and
they
left
at
2
a.m.
According
to
Boyer,
Sam
raced
down
Santa
Monica,
and
against
her
protests,
pulled
onto
the
freeway.
She
later
told
police
that
she
asked
again
to
be
taken
home,
but
Sam
said,
Dont
worry
now.
I
just
want
to
go
for
a
little
ride.
He
stroked
her
hair
and
told
her
how
pretty
she
was.
They
exited
the
highway
at
Figueroa
Street,
near
LAX
[Los
Angeles
Airport].
Boyer
asked
again
to
be
taken
home,
but
Sam
drove
straight
to
the
Hacienda
Motel.
He
got
out
of
the
car
and
walked
up
to
a
glass
partition
at
the
managers
office
while
Boyer
remained
in
the
car.
He
registered
under
his
own
name
with
the
clerk,
Bertha
Franklin.
Franklin
eyed
Boyer
in
the
car,
and
told
Sam
that
hed
have
to
sign
in
as
Mr.
and
Mrs.
Sam
drove
around
to
the
back
of
the
motel.
Boyer
claimed
he
then
dragged
her
into
the
room,
pinned
her
on
the
bed
and
started
to
tear
her
clothes
off.
I
knew
he
was
going
to
rape
me,
she
told
the
police.
She
went
into
the
bathroom
and
tried
to
lock
the
door,
but
the
latch
was
broken.
She
tried
the
window
but
it
was
painted
shut.
When
she
came
out,
Sam
was
already
undressed.
He
groped
her,
then
went
into
the
bathroom
himself.
Boyer,
wearing
a
slip
and
a
bra,
picked
up
her
clothes
and
fled.
The
first
thing
she
said
she
did
was
pound
on
the
night
managers
door.
Franklin
didnt
answer.
Boyer
ran
half
a
block,
dumped
her
clothes
on
the
ground
and
got
dressed.
Tangled
among
her
clothes
were
Sams
shirt
and
pants.
She
left
them
on
the
ground,
found
a
phone
booth
and
called
the
police.
Meanwhile,
Sam,
wearing
one
shoe
and
a
sports
jacket,
had
come
out
of
the
room,
frantically
looking
for
Boyer.
He
drove
the
Ferrari
back
to
the
managers
office,
and
banged
on
the
door
of
Franklins
office.
Is
the
girl
in
there?
he
yelled.
According
to
Franklin,
when
she
said
no,
Sam
began
to
work
at
the
locked
door
and
ram
it
with
his
shoulder.
The
frame
ripped
loose
and
the
latch
gave.
Sam
charged
in,
looking
around
for
Boyer.
He
grabbed
Franklins
wrist.
Where
is
the
girl?
They
got
into
a
tussle.
Franklin,
though
shorter
than
Sam,
outweighed
him
by
about
30
pounds.
She
told
the
police,
He
fell
on
top
of
me
I
tried
to
bite
him
through
that
jacket:
biting,
scratching
and
everything.
Finally,
I
got
up,
when
I
kicked
him
I
run
and
grabbed
the
pistol
off
the
TV,
and
I
shot
at
close
range
three
times.
Two
of
the
bullets
missed.
But
the
third
entered
his
left
side,
passed
through
his
left
lung,
his
heart
and
his
right
lung.
Sam
fell
back
and
in
astonishment,
said
what
would
be
his
last
words:
Lady,
you
shot
me.
Franklin
claims
that
he
got
up
again
and
ran
at
her.
She
hit
him
over
the
head
with
a
broom
handle.
This
time,
he
stayed
down.
When
the
police
arrived,
Sam
Cooke
was
dead.
Five
days
later,
at
the
coroners
inquest,
Boyer
and
Franklin
recounted
their
stories
in
a
hasty
proceeding
that
barely
allowed
Sams
lawyer
one
question.
Tests
showed
that
at
the
time
of
death,
Sam
had
a
blood
alcohol
level
of
.16
(.08
is
considered
too
drunk
to
drive).
Sams
credit
cards
were
missing,
but
a
money
clip
with
$108
was
in
his
jacket
pocket.
The
shooting
was
ruled
justifiable
homicide.
Case
closed.
Source:
Performing
Songwriter
http://performingsongwriter.com/mysterious-death-sam-cooke/
SOURCE
4:
Interview
with
Erik
Greene
III,
Nephew
of
Sam
Cooke.
Excerpt
from
an
interview
with
Erick
Greene
III,
nephew
of
Sam
Cooke,
in
the
late
1990s.
Since
December
of
1964,
the
sketchy
facts
surrounding
Sam
Cooke's
death
have
been
a
topic
of
discussion
by
fans
worldwide.
Some
see
him
as
"being
in
the
wrong
place
at
the
wrong
time,"
or
"a
victim
of
his
lifestyle
catching
up
with
him,"
or
any
one
of
a
number
of
open-and-shut
explanations.
Some
hint
at
a
conspiracy
to
make
an
example
out
of
an
outspoken
black
entrepreneur.
Others
have
insisted
the
hit
was
mob-related.
CL:
And
what
does
the
family
believe?
Greene:
Since
Sam's
untimely
death,
the
Cook
family
has
commonly
held
the
belief
that
the
whole
scenario
was
a
set-up.
They
immediately
dismissed
the
"facts"
as
presented
because
they
knew
certain
things
about
his
nature:
Sam
would
never
have
to
force
himself
on
a
womanany
woman.
While
he
was
known
to
have
his
trysts,
he
would
routinely
turn
down
dozens
of
propositions
from
women
who
threw
themselves
at
him.
The
family
knew
the
actions
as
described
weren't
in
Sam's
nature.
Sam
always
did
everything
first
class.
As
a
successful
entertainer
and
businessman,
his
clothes
were
tailor-made
and
he
drove
the
finest
cars
(he
was
sporting
a
new,
1965
Ferrari
the
night
of
his
murder).
The
thought
of
him
checking
into
a
$3-a-night
motel
would
be
laughable
if
the
situation
weren't
so
gravely
serious.
The
fact
that
Sam
was
portrayed
as
an
over-sexed
potential
rapist
deeply
disturbed
those
that
knew
him
best.
Not
only
was
this
far
from
the
truth,
it
was
the
kind
of
accusation
that
was
almost
impossible
to
disprove.
On
the
other
hand,
a
black
entertainer
taking
advantage
of
a
defenseless,
star-
struck
Eurasian
girl
was
much
more
plausible
[believable]
in
the
public's
eyes,
especially
if
it's
been
reported
alcohol
was
involved.
But
just
how
innocent
was
the
victim?
The
question
of
Elisa
Boyer's
character
and
occupation
was
quickly
suppressed
[hidden]
by
the
coroner
in
the
inquest,
and
the
fact
that
she
was
indeed
a
prostitute
didn't
come
out
until
she
was
arrested
in
a
LAPD
sting
operation
a
month
later.
Had
the
question
been
allowed,
it
would've
made
inquiring
minds
ask,
"Why
would
a
well-known
entertainer
with
a
pocket
full
of
money
attempt
to
rape
a
prostitute?"
These
inconsistencies,
as
well
as
others,
are
discussed
in
detail
in
Our
Uncle
Sam.
CL:
What
is
your
family's
perspective
on
the
events
of
the
night
that
Sam
Cooke
was
killed?
Greene:
Personal
feelings
from
the
family
aside,
Sam's
shooting
didn't
make
sense
from
several
common-sense
angles.
First
of
all,
why
would
Sam
to
drive
that
far
out
of
his
way
(and
Boyer's,
for
that
matter)
to
go
to
the
seedy
Hacienda
Motel,
especially
since
he
would've
had
to
pass
several
quality
motels
in
order
to
do
so?
In
the
coroner's
inquest,
Boyer
claimed
she
was
held
against
her
will,
yet
Sam
allegedly
left
her
in
the
car
alone
as
he
checked
into
the
motel.
During
questioning,
she
testified
she
asked
Sam
if
she
could
go
to
the
bathroom
as
he
was
ripping
off
her
clothes,
and
he
stopped
assaulting
her
so
she
could
take
a
bathroom
break.
When
she
was
done,
he
left
her
alone
again
and
used
the
bathroom
himself
finally
giving
her
the
opportunity
to
escape!
Bertha
Franklin
(the
motel
attendant)
testified
that
Sam
broke
down
her
door,
searched
her
apartment,
and
then
came
back
into
the
living
room
demanding
to
know
where
Boyer
went.
Franklin
claimed
Sam
twisted
her
arm
and
pinned
her
down
on
the
floor,
demanding
to
know
more
information,
yet
she
managed
to
escape
the
hold
an
interesting
scenario
that
was
never
questioned.
During
their
tussle,
she
grabbed
her
gun
from
atop
the
television
and
shot
Sam.
Why
hadn't
Franklin
remembered
her
gun
when
he
was
trying
to
break
down
the
door?
Why
didn't
she
go
for
the
gun
while
Sam
was
searching
the
apartment?
The
following
sources
are
excerpts
from
a
blog
published
through
the
Toronto
Sun
newspaper,
written
by
Toronto
Sun
editor
Alan
Parker.
Ill
give
you
three
versions
[of
what
happened
the
night
Sam
Cooke
was
killed]:
1.
What
we
know
for
sure
(sort
of),
2.
The
version
that
came
out
in
court,
and
3.
The
conspiracy
theory
1:
What
we
know
for
sure
(sort
of)
Sam
Cooke
and
Elisa
Boyer,
in
Sams
expensive
Ferrari,
pulled
up
to
the
Hacienda
Motel
in
South-
Central
LA,
a
seedy
flop
joint
in
a
seedy
part
of
town.
They
checked
in
to
the
Hacienda
as
Mr.
and
Mrs.
Sam
Cooke.
(By
the
way,
the
Hacienda
is
still
in
business
but
its
now
known
as
the
Star
Motel.)
Within
an
hour
Sam
Cooke
naked
except
for
a
jacket
and
one
shoe
was
pounding
on
the
motel
reception
desk,
demanding
to
know
where
Elisa
Boyer
was.
She
had
stolen
his
clothes
and
wallet
(containing
thousands
of
dollars
this
was
before
credit
cards
were
in
common
use)
while
he
was
in
the
bathroom,
Cooke
said,
and
he
accused
the
motel
manager,
55-year-old
Bertha
Franklin,
of
complicity.
An
argument
broke
out,
there
was
a
physical
altercation
of
some
kind
and
Franklin
(or
someone)
pulled
a
gun
and
shot
the
King
of
Soul
in
the
abdomen.
You
shot
me,
lady,
Sam
Cooke
said.
Then
he
dropped
dead
2.
The
version
that
came
out
in
court
At
the
inquest
(not
even
a
criminal
trial),
Elisa
Boyer
testified
that
she
thought
Sam
Cooke
was
driving
her
home
and
she
became
frightened
as
he
took
her
to
the
Hacienda
Motel
and
became
more
aggressive,
ripping
her
clothes
off.
While
Cooke
was
in
the
bathroom,
Boyer
said
she
grabbed
her
clothes
and
fled
what
she
was
sure
would
become
a
rape.
Boyer
testified
that
she
had
taken
Cookes
clothes
(and
wallet)
by
mistake
while
gathering
up
her
own
clothes.
She
ran
from
the
motel,
put
her
own
clothes
on
and
(she
said)
threw
away
Cookes
clothing
(and
wallet).
She
later
phoned
police
to
report
the
supposed
rape
attempt,
but
Sam
Cooke
was
already
dead
by
then.
Motel
manager
Bertha
Franklin
testified
Cooke
was
half-naked
and
in
a
rage
when
he
confronted
her
in
the
reception
area
after
Boyer
had
run
off.
Franklin
said
Cooke
yelled
at
her
and
tussled
with
her
before
going
out
to
the
parking
lot
and
starting
his
car.
The
he
returned
to
the
reception
area,
Franklin
testified,
and
started
fighting
with
her
again,
knocking
her
to
the
ground.
Franklin
said
she
managed
to
get
her
gun
from
beneath
the
reception
counter
and
shot
Cooke
as
he
was
advancing
on
her
again
in
a
threatening
manner.
After
less
than
half
an
hour,
the
inquest
jury
ruled
Sam
Cookes
death
was
justifiable
homicide
and
closed
the
case.