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Mark Douglas Franta was arrested Wednesday in the connection with the death of Marybeth Franta.
By Cara McCoy 
Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010 | 2:48 p.m.
Related Document (.pdf)
Location where body was found
Sun Archives
Metro Police detectives believe the husband of Las Vegas teacher Marybeth Franta was drunk when he got into an argument with his wife, killed her and then drove to a desert area behind a grocery store to dump her body, according to an arrest report released Thursday by the Clark County District Attorney’s office.
The report also said the man is seen on surveillance video from both the grocery store and a nearby convenience store after the body was left in the desert area.
In the report, police say they believe Mark Douglas Franta, 50, became intoxicated at a grand opening party for a friend’s motorcycle shop Saturday while his wife was at a friend’s wedding. When she returned home, police said they believe an argument ensued and Mark Franta killed his wife before loading her body into the back of her SUV and dumping the body behind the Albertsons store at Tenaya Way and Craig Road.
Police said that after leaving the body, Mark Franta drove his wife’s 2002 Mazda Tribute to the grocery store’s parking lot, left the vehicle unlocked with her purse inside, and walked home. Investigators found the Tribute on Monday in the Albertsons parking lot.
Mark Franta had filed a missing persons report on his wife Sunday, the same day a woman’s body with no identification was found. The Frantas home, near Torrey Pines Drive and Harmon Avenue, is about 10 miles south of the Albertsons where the woman was found.
On Monday, homicide detectives investigating the woman’s death learned of the missing persons report Mark Franta had filed on his wife and began investigating to see if the missing woman and the homicide victim were one in the same.
On Wednesday, Mary Elizabeth “Marybeth” Franta’s body was positively identified and Mark Franta was arrested in connection with her death. The Clark County Coroner’s Office said Marybeth Franta, 49, died of asphyxiation and had blunt force trauma injuries on a substantial portion of her body. Her death was ruled a homicide.
According to the arrest report, a review of Albertsons security video shows a person who resembles Mark Franta parking the Mazda SUV in front of the store at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, exiting the vehicle, and walking west toward Tenaya Way.
Police also obtained surveillance video from a convenience store at Tenaya Way and Alexander Road that shows a man believed to be Mark Franta entering the store about 1:45 a.m. Sunday, making a purchase and then leaving, the report stated.
Mark Franta had reported his wife missing Sunday afternoon, telling police he had last seen her at about 2:30 p.m. the previous day.
He said he had washed his wife’s Mazda Tribute so she could go to a wedding. Missing persons detectives interviewed Patty Coleman, a friend of Marybeth Franta, who told police the two had been at a wedding Saturday. Coleman said she dropped Marybeth Franta off at her home at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Detectives interviewed Mark Franta on Monday. He told investigators that while his wife was at a wedding Saturday, he went to a friend’s party for the grand opening of his motorcycle shop.
He said he had been drinking at the party, and told investigators that drinking had “caused problems in his life and his relationship with Marybeth,” police wrote in the arrest report. Mark Franta said his wife called him at about 7 p.m. and realized he had been drinking, at which point she said she was going to check on her horses, which she boarded near Tenaya and Deer Springs Way.
Mark Franta said he left the party at about 8:30 p.m. and repeatedly tried to call his wife’s cell phone, but it went to voicemail. He said that at 11:30 p.m., he decided to walk to where the horses were boarded to check on his wife because he didn’t want to drive while intoxicated. He walked as far as Smoke Ranch Road and then turned around to go home.
He said he was stopped by two Metro officers on the Rainbow Boulevard overpass over U.S. 95 on his way home. Officers stopped him at 3:19 a.m. and said he appeared intoxicated, but he was released.
On Wednesday, homicide detectives confronted Mark Franta with surveillance video they obtained from Albertsons and the convenience store. In their report, investigators said he didn’t provide an explanation for being in the video, nor did he deny being there.
He was taken into custody and booked into the Clark County Detention Center, where he is being held without bail on one count of murder. He is scheduled to appear Monday before Judge Eric A. Goodman in Las Vegas Justice Court.
Metro Police began asking for the public's help Tuesday in finding Marybeth Franta, who taught science at Irwin and Susan Molasky Junior High School. She had worked for the Clark County School District since 1993.
Marybeth Franta was an avid horsewoman and active in the Nevada State Horsemen’s Association. Her body is to be cremated. Viewing hours are open to the public from noon to 6 p.m. Friday at Palm Mortuary, 7400 W. Cheyenne Ave.
I've heard of very few killings by people who were high on pot, but many by people who were drunk on alcohol. Maybe Metro should raid liquor stores and bars instead of pot growers and pot clinics.
Isn't it amazing how much video footage the cops can find when they want to? Hmm, just don't involve Costco and I guess we're ok.
@mred, I couldn't agree more. Why legalization/regulation of pot hasn't yet occurred is beyond me, given the destructive behaviors clearly associated with alcohol abuse.
What a serious and painful case. It seems so odd that a earthy person like her was married to a heavy drinker who was into the biker culture. Incredibly sad.
mred is channelling Sharron Angle.
It's quite a stretch to blame the liquor for murder.
Yes JohnRB it is.. It is amazing how they could get video footage from a system that didn't crash days before the incident happened
"It's quite a stretch to blame the liquor for murder."
And the sky became green this week.
People do not ignore bruises on a person, it is highly unusual for bruises to be on a person's face and up and down their body. Get that person help, even if it is just to check it out. If your spouse is an alcoholic and gets drunk, leave and think about your life with this person. If this person is always abusive, maybe its time to leave. No one should have to put up with an abusive alcoholic. Believe me you can start your life over, that person is only keeping you down. Its ashame that this event happen to a public servant, who is just trying to better the life of others.
Alcohol, drugs. What's the difference? Getting hooked on either is the eventual outcome for abusers. Neither is the solution. Both only contribute to the problems in your life.
my condolences to family and friends. what a tragic story. ugh.
> Why legalization/regulation of pot hasn't yet occurred is beyond me,
simple. there's waaaaay too much enforcement money it it to stop it.
I'll bet SunJon and mred are first in line to scream about keeping their guns - as a right under the Constitution... Guns don't kill people, people kill people. But they think liquor kills people. Go figure that kind of ridiculous Tea Bagging thinking.
Judy:
You are missing the point. Liquor tends to bring out the worst in people and many people tend to get violent and abusive when drunk.
And what do guns and/or the 2nd amendment have to do with this story? She wasn't killed by a bullet.
And for the record MJ (Pot) does not tend to bring out the worst in people or the violence. I have yet to see people smoking pot and get violent. If drinking is involved it's a whole other story.
@ Judy go back to Liberal California, you can also pay for your illegal immigrates and their kids.
My condolances to the family. Hopefully they put him in the general population, then be someones B.
This is how my life could have ended a little over a year ago when my (now x-spouse) husband held a shotgun to my head and said I better leave or he was gonna F-ing kill me. At first I didn't believe it, having known him for 8 years, but the look in his drunken eyes was dead. He was gone. He probably doesn't even remember what happened - lucky drunks get to black out and memory is gone - but I do. I will always remember it and it is my scar, but also a useful reminder to keep alcoholics, addicts, abusive, angry controlling men out of my life. Never, NEVER again. May God bless her and her family wherever they are, and may her students be grateful for their time spent, and may everyone involved be able to heal...eventually the healing begins - but it takes a very, very long time in a tragedy such as this. I have no prayers for the man who killed his wife...NONE AT ALL.
I was a student at Molasky JHS and had Mrs. Franta for sixth grade science. I also went to Sea Camp in San Diego with her. She was an amazing woman, a genuinely good person. She will be greatly missed.
Put that jerk in jail for the rest of his life, before I do him myself. I bet she was so much brighter than him, it's so sad to realize she had to pass away, while that boozed-up clown keeps playing games with the cops trying to kid them.
Mtngrl65,
You are a stong, brave women and I wish nothing but the best for you. You refused to enable your ex-husband to let you become a statistic and I have the utmost respect for you.
It is funny that the Christo-facists don't even know the religion that they claim they believe in. Why did Jesus 'pardon' Barabbus" on the cross next to him?
Oh, Christians? Your religion tells you to love your enemies, maybe some of the Bible thumpers need a new religion that lets them vent their hatred?
I find it amazing having read this tragic story that some people posting here just can't absorb the story at hand without adding complete and utter nonsense. This situation had nothing to do with guns, pot, tea baggers, or Costco, but where there is a ignorant comment to be made,...there are those here who continue to make them.
This is a sad story about two people who had apparent issues,...and while they were together for whatever reason its now over for both of them. There was no reason for Mrs. Franta's life to end as it did and now Mr. Franta's has taken on an entirely different and very unpleasant direction.
Its sad and unfortunate and here's hope this irresponsible man now receives the maximum sentence, one that is completely enforced by law. Life, death,...whatever the courts decide, carry them out to the maximum and be swift in doing so.
RIP Mrs. Franta.