A New Mexico man will spend several decades behind bars after pleading guilty to a second-degree murder charge in June over the 2023 killing of a woman from Gardner, Kansas.
The Johnson County, Kansas District Attorney said 60-year-old Franklin Bluelake, of Albuquerque, was sentenced to 620 months or 51 years and 8 months. Bluelake was initially charged with first-degree murder early in 2023, but that charge was amended to second-degree murder the same day Bluelake pleaded guilty in 2025.
According to court records, Rhoda Morgan was found dead inside a hotel in Olathe on January 29, 2023. Morgan's daughter reported that Morgan and Bluelake were in a relationship, and that Bluelake would often travel to Olathe to meet with her.
During the investigation, authorities learned Morgan had found out that Bluelake was involved in relationships with other women, and had planned to confront him about it.
Additionally, a former girlfriend of Bluelake reported that Morgan had called her regarding Bluelake, telling detectives she advised her that Bluelake used women for a place to live and money. The former girlfriend also reported that Bluelake had called her on the morning of Jan. 29, 2023 and asked for $60.
Bluelake had also told the former girlfriend that he was in Texas and needed money on a phone call. He also said that he got into a fight, during which he accidentally broke Morgan's neck. She reportedly asked him questions about the incident, but Bluelake didn't want to speak about it.
Autopsy revealed that Morgan suffered a broken hyoid bone, found in the midline of the anterior neck. Her death was determined to be a homicide.
