APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) It’s one of the Fox Valley’s longest unsolved cold cases.
For fifty years one Appleton family has been asking the same question, “Who murdered Frank Frye?”
December 21, 1969, former Appleton Police Officer Frank Frye was murdered and every year since, Frank’s family marks his death with a somber family tradition by laying a wreath at his gravesite.
Frank’s granddaughter Lori Dollevoet says, “My grandmother had been putting a wreath on every year after he died. Then my mother took it over and I guess I’m now the wreath bearer.”
Just before Christmas, Frank Frye was abducted, from the then Embassy Motel, in 1969.
He was later found shot and left on the side of a road and at that time police had several leads.
Winnebago County Sheriff’s Officer Lieutenant Christoper Braman says, “There were several suspects almost from day one. There had been some other robberies in the general area call the Highway 41 Corridor.”
Police say this cold case is still active so the Frye family hopes that someone watching can provide answers.
Lieutenant Braman says, “We are looking at new DNA processes that involve degraded DNA and we actually have some DNA evidence at the crime lab right now. “
Lori pleads that,”If there is someone who knows something that’s still alive would come forward. Just to know a little bit more to understand would help provide some closure.”
In a case shrouded in questions, even Lori says her grandfather may have taken some answers to the grave. “Before he left that night. He gave my grandmother her Christmas presents on the 21st of December. Its kind of strange.”
