Murdered teacher heard begging for life in 'butt dial' voicemail
An accidental voicemail has captured the moment a California teacher was begging for her life as she was savagely murdered.
John Franco is accused of slitting Jill Thomas Grant’s throat, running her over with a car and dumping her corpse on a golf course just two days before Christmas in 2013.
Sensing Franco was having second thoughts during the horrific ordeal, Ms Grant tried to help him come up with a cover up story to explain her injuries, so he could abandon his murder plot.
What neither of them knew was that he had unintentionally called a friend’s voicemail in a "butt dial" on his mobile phone and their conversation was being recorded.
“I am sure we can think of something,” the 41-year-old said in desperation.
“What if I drive the car someplace and call myself and say I was attacked? Would that work?"
Riverside County court documents filed last week and obtained by local news outlet Deseret News, gave a detailed transcription of the final voicemail, however Franco has maintained his innocence since her death.
Ms Grant can also be heard saying that the duo could think of something to say together.
"What do you want me to say? What should I say?" she asks Franco in the recording.
Further court papers claim he allegedly confessed to a cellmate that he cut his girlfriend’s throat during a fight, took her to a golf course and killed her when she tried to escape not far from their home in the city of Indio.
Prosecutors have also said that they have security footage of Franco using Ms Grant’s ATM card to withdraw money the night she was killed.
He was later found with bankcards, a cellphone and a pistol all belonging to her.
The voicemail adds to the substantial pile of evidence prosecutors filed ahead of Franco’s upcoming murder trial.
