Sam Cooke

December 11, 1964, Los Angeles, CA. Sam Cooke, legendary singer, songwriter, activist, and businessman was shot to death in a motel wearing only a jacket and wristwatch. Bertha Franklin, the motel’s manager, and Lisa Boyer, the woman he arrived with, claimed Sam attacked them individually and Franklin shot him in self-defense. Conspiracy theories and doubts about the investigation continue to plague the case decades later.

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