Rodney Franklin is headed to prison for the rest of his life following his conviction for the brutal killing of Keith Rieskamp. The 54-year-old man was found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide and theft from a corpse, ending a case that centered on a gruesome crime scene discovered in Neenah, Wisconsin. According to Court TV, the investigation began on November 24, 2024, when a passerby alerted authorities to a man in dire need of help.
When officers arrived at the scene near Shattuck Park, they reportedly found Rieskamp, who was homeless, in a horrific state. Officers described the victim as “covered in blood,” with no shirt and his pants around his knees near two dumpsters. The scene was marked by a massive amount of blood, which investigators also discovered on a nearby shed handle, as well as clothing, a silver aluminum post, and a red brick which was found to be used in the attack.
NBC 26 noted that the victim was transported to a hospital after the welfare check, but he eventually died from his injuries. A medical examiner later determined that the cause of death was a combination of multiple blunt force injuries and hypothermia. The victim had suffered extensive trauma, including facial lacerations, fractures to his nose and jaw, and a ruptured right eye.
They followed their biggest clue, the blood
According to Court TV, the trail of blood led police directly to the basement of a nearby apartment building where Franklin resided. When officers knocked on the door to investigate, Franklin answered the door completely naked. He claimed to the officers that he had only just gotten home an hour earlier and had not heard anything the night before.
When asked if he knew the victim, Franklin reportedly denied any knowledge of the name or individual. However, this claim quickly fell apart as witnesses told police that Rieskamp had actually been staying with Franklin until he was kicked out just days before the incident occurred. Per Court TV, one witness reported seeing the two men arguing the day before the victim was found.
Court TV reported that when law enforcement returned to serve a search warrant, they once again found Franklin naked inside his apartment. During the search, detectives located a pair of white high-tops that Franklin had been seen wearing in surveillance footage.
Testing confirmed that the shoes were stained with blood that matched the victim’s DNA. The evidence against him continued to mount as officers searched the kitchen. In a different case, about a crime committed by a homeless man, a man with no arms stabbed someone with a pair of scissors when they asked for directions.
Per the outlet, in a drawer, they found a large wristwatch and a copper-colored bracelet known to belong to the victim, both of which were covered in blood. On the kitchen table, police discovered “a financial transaction card with [Rieskamp’s] name on it in a stack of documents with Franklin’s name on it.” Despite the physical evidence, Franklin reportedly continued to deny any knowledge of how these items ended up in his home.
The legal proceedings culminated in a three-day trial that concluded in May, according to Court TV. A jury found Franklin guilty of the charges, leading to the sentencing hearing held on a Wednesday. Recently, a family prepared to take the city to court when a homeless Kentucky woman sleeping in an alley was fatally crushed by a garbage truck.
Ahead of the sentencing, Franklin’s sister, Lada Felicia Chick, submitted a letter to Judge Scott Woldt. She reportedly described her brother as the youngest of six children who faced significant adversity, including sexual and physical abuse in foster homes before being removed for poor grades. Chick also claimed that her brother suffers from colon cancer and is currently ill and frail.
“I am just so confused about this case, because I know my brother and he is a gentle, fragile soul who would never commit murder,” she wrote. “He tries to act tough, but it’s just that, an act.”
Court TV noted that Judge Woldt did not find these arguments persuasive and opted to show no mercy in his ruling. Franklin received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for the homicide charge. Additionally, he was handed a five-year sentence for the theft charge, which will be served concurrently with his life term.
According to court records, the decision ensures that Franklin will remain behind bars for the rest of his life, with no possibility of extended supervision.
Published: Jul 21, 2026 11:12 am