Naman Shrestha
In February 2010, Michael Temple Jr. and Margaret Ridgely were greeted by two armed men in their Odenton, Maryland, residence, which resulted in the former’s life getting destroyed as he suffered injuries that would cost him his life a few years down the line. The investigation was escalated upon Michael’s passing, and thanks to the advancement in technology, the police were able to capture the killer/s. The entire case and its intricate details are covered in A&E’s ‘Cold Case Files: Eyes of a Killer,’ which also consists of exclusive interviews with the loved ones of the victim and the officials linked to the case.
Michael Temple Jr. Was Injured During a Home Invasion and Died a Few Years Later
Born on November 13, 1985, to Melissa Dawn “Lisa” McCollum and Michael Temple Sr., Michael Anthony Temple Jr. had a lot of passion for working on cars from an early age. As a grown-up, he even lent a hand in his father’s construction business. During his high school days, his paths crossed with Margaret Ridgely, who was in her junior year of high school, on a blind date. They hit it off on their first date and after talking to each other daily for a week or so, they decided to take the next step and started seeing each other. After four years of dating, the couple moved in with Margaret’s grandmother to take care of her.
On the night of February 2, 2010, Michael and Margaret returned to the Odenton, Maryland, house in the 500 block of Williamsburg Lane around 8:50 pm, with their friend, Kelly, waiting for them as she needed to use Micheal’s computer for wiring some money. A while after entering the house, two armed men burst into the couple’s room in the basement and ordered them to unlock their safe at gunpoint. When Michael got shot once, he somehow managed to stab the shooter with a knife but got shot again after that. His leg and spine were the targets of the gunshots. The two men fled the scene while Kelly dialed 911.
When the police arrived at the scene of the crime, they rushed injured Michael to the hospital, where he initially survived and improved. Soon, he was discharged from the hospital, but his severe injuries caused him to use a wheelchair. For the next five years, living with such injuries was a challenge for him. On June 18, 2015, the 29-year-old was rushed by his father to the hospital, where he sadly succumbed to his injuries. The cause of Michael’s death was declared to be the complications from the wound he sustained during the home invasion incident. This changed the case from an assault to a homicide, urging the authorities to get to the bottom of it.
Michael Temple Jr.’s Killer Remained on the Loose For Several Years
Once the police were done gathering clues and evidence from the crime scene, they began questioning potential witnesses and family members of Michael and Margaret. Upon questioning Margaret, she told the detectives the password to the safe, in which they found a bundle of cash along with prescription pills. As it turned out, Michael Temple Jr. was reportedly a small-time drug dealer who sold drugs to selected people. Since only a few people knew about the safe, the couple believed that the armed men were individuals acquainted with them. Meanwhile, Margaret Ridgely was arrested for drug possession charges and was sentenced to probation.
After every clue led the police to a dead end, the case went cold for several years until Michael tragically passed away in 2015. As the case changed into a homicide, the detectives were back at work and picked up the investigation again. In late October 2015, using the DNA of the perpetrator found at the crime scene and the latest DNA technology, the authorities were able to get a computer-generated snapshot of the killer. Unfortunately, despite the image and a $10,000 reward, the police ended up with no concrete leads.
Genetic Genealogy Technology Came in Clutch to Capture the Perpetrator
In mid-2018, genetic genealogy came into play and led the investigators to one guy whose DNA matched the one found at the crime scene — Fred Lee Frampton Jr. In order to solidify the DNA evidence on Fred, the detectives followed him to a 7-Eleven on Route 3 in Crofton and obtained his DNA sample from a cigarette and coffee cup he discarded in October 2018. When the sample matched the DNA found on the crime scene, they arrested him on November 1, 2018, and charged him with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and armed robbery. During questioning, he first denied the allegations, but when he learned that the authorities had his DNA, he confessed to shooting Michael Temple but claimed that the home invasion was the idea of his friend, Jonathan Matthew Ludwig, a client of Michael.
However, he had already died of a drug overdose a few months earlier, in March 2018. Upon searching the accused’s house for more incriminating evidence against him, the police found the handgun that was used to shoot Michael during the home invasion in 2010. When the police told the victim’s father, Michael Temple Sr., that they had captured the killer, he realized that he had worked with the two men at a construction business just a while after the attack. He told WMAR2, “These individuals worked beside me for many years, which I find kind of really hard to believe how somebody can stand that close to you and have done what they have done.”
Fred Lee Frampton Jr. is Serving His Sentence Awaiting His Parole Date
Fred Lee Frampton Jr. was offered to choose between pleading guilty and running the risk of receiving a life imprisonment sentence without the possibility of parole. He chose the former and pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder of Michael Anthony Temple Jr. As per the plea deal, Fred was sentenced to 55 years in prison with the possibility of parole. Currently, he is incarcerated at the Western Correctional Institution at 13800 McMullen Highway Southwest in Cumberland, Maryland.
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