Otha Franklin
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A Wausau man accused of providing the drugs that led to an overdose death in 2020 will go to trial on Monday.
Otha Franklin will face a week-long jury trial for reckless homicide by delivery of drugs and manufacturing or delivering heroin. Investigators say Franklin was snorting pills with the victim at a house party in July 2020. The victim started having a seizure, and a third person suggested they call for help. Franklin advised against that, and the victim died the next morning.
Autopsy results showed the victim died from a toxic mix of drugs. Officers long suspected he had a role in the death, but he remained at large for more than three years. They finally caught up to him in Milwaukee County in the spring of 2024.
Court records indicate that Franklin will enter a plea to five of the lesser charges he is facing. Those include bail jumping and manufacturing or delivery of designer drugs. He is also facing four other open cases, which include charges for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of cocaine, and battery. Those cases are scheduled for hearings alongside this week’s trial.
Jury selection will begin Monday morning. The 47-year-old faces more than 50 years in prison if found guilty.
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