Elisa Boyer was with singer Sam Cooke the night Bertha Franklin shot and killed him. Numerous controversies and theories surround his death, but the jury found Bertha not guilty due to justifiable homicide.
Elisa Boyer met Sam Cooke in a California restaurant/bar. The two were friendly at the bar before leaving in Sam’s car. They arrived at a motel where Bertha Franklin was employed as the night manager.
According to eyewitnesses, Elisa was hesitant to enter the room with Cooke, but she claimed that Sam forced her in. Boyer claimed that once inside, he pinned her to the bed, but she asked to use the restroom. When she returned, he also used it.
Boyer then went to Franklin’s office to request assistance, but she was on the phone, so she attempted to flee. Cooke went to the office and fought with Bertha. When she escaped, she grabbed her. He was shot multiple times with a 22-caliber pistol. Franklin claimed that he lunged at her after the shooting, and she struck him with the gun until he fell to the floor.
Elisa was a witness to the event, and police lie detector tests revealed that their accounts were consistent.
Read more: How Many Miles Is 1500 Meters?