On this day December 11, 1964, music legend Sam Cooke was shot and killed at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California. The details surrounding his death still remains a mystery today.
The official version of the incident is Cooke was shot by the motel’s manager, Bertha Franklin, who claimed that Cooke had attacked her and forced his way into her office. Franklin said she shot Cooke in self-defense. The case was investigated, and Bertha Franklin’s account was accepted, leading to her being cleared of any charges.
However, due to reports of inconsistencies in the investigation and lingering questions about the events leading up to Cooke’s death, some people believe there may have been more to the story. Conspiracy theories and alternative explanations have circulated over the years, but the officially accepted cause of Cooke’s death is still listed as a justifiable homicide.