R. Franklin/Murders

“	R. Franklin was the first, before Manson. He changed the culture.	”
	— Fiona[src]

This article covers the incident known as The R. Franklin Murders and its subsequent re-enactment by inspired copycats. These events were depicted during the episode "Home Invasion".

1968 Victims

Gladys and Maria are nursing students living with fellow girls in the Murder House in 1968. On January 14, 1968, Gigi and two of her roommates ask Gladys and Maria if they would like to accompany them to a concert featuring The Doors. Maria declines, explaining that she has a test to study for, so the girls leave Maria and Gladys. Upon hearing a knock at the door, Maria opens it to find an (apparently) injured man, later identified as R. Franklin. She invites him in to help clean his wounds. While doing so, the man mentions the cross around her neck, asking her if she thinks she will be "saved". Maria replies she has already been saved. Around this time, Maria and Gladys realize there is no wound, and are too late as the man knocks Maria out with a nearby ashtray and drags Gladys to another room.

Gladys

Gladys
"I hope you get the clap."
Portrayed by	Celia Finklestein
Species	Human (formerly) Ghost Spirit (AHStories)
Occupation	Student nurse (formerly)
Cause of death	Murder House R. Franklin
Relationships	Maria Ruby McDaniel
Appearances	Home Invasion Halloween: Part 2 Piggy Piggy Birth Afterbirth Return to Murder House Rubber(wo)Man Game Over

Gladys, upon being apprehended, attempted to run, but Franklin yells at her to "be smart". She halts, then makes another attempt. He blocks her path and throws her to the ground, chanting "Fatty Patty". On January 14, 1968, Gladys is dragged upstairs, where she is thrust into a full bathtub, where he forcefully drowns her.

Gladys, along with other previously shown house ghosts, makes an appearance as they return back to the house from a night of freedom during Halloween. She later reveals herself to Violet in the basement and shows herself to Derrick in the tub of the Harmon's upstairs bathroom as he practices in getting over his fear of urban legends during a chant of Bloody Mary. Gladys assists Dr. Montgomery in delivering Vivien's babies, but vanishes after the latter's death. Gladys later helps the Harmons scare the Ramos family to make them run away from the house by appearing in the bathtub to Stacy, screaming at her saying, "Look what he did to me." When Behold and Madison go to the house, they notice Gladys when she appears to them.

Maria

Maria
"I'm a virgin."
Portrayed by	Rosa Salazar
Species	Human (formerly) Ghost
Occupation	Student nurse (formerly)
Cause of death	Murder House R. Franklin
Relationships	Gladys (friend)
Appearances	Home Invasion Halloween: Part 2 Open House Birth

Maria, as she regains consciousness, notices water dripping onto her forehead from the ceiling. Running water can still be heard. Franklin throws a nursing outfit at her, telling her to undress and put it on. Maria begs him for mercy, stating that she is a virgin. Wearing the outfit and tied up, Maria starts reciting a prayer over and over again as Franklin just stares at her. He then gets up and leaves her field of vision. Maria thinks she is safe and that he has taken pity on her. However, Franklin has just circled the couch and stabs Maria repeatedly in the back.

Maria, along with other previously shown house ghosts, makes an appearance as they return back to the house from a night of freedom during Halloween. She later appears to Violet saying "Look what he did to me". Violet tells her to go away, and she disappears. Maria helps Dr. Montgomery in delivering Vivien's twins, but vanishes after the latter's death.

Notes

• Maria's awakening to the water on her forehead is similar to a baptism, notable given her faith.
• According to Ryan Murphy, Maria's murder in this episode is based off of the real life murders of Richard Speck.
  

2011 Re-enactments

In September 2011, Fiona, and her cohorts Dallas and Bianca, unsuccessfully try to recreate the R. Franklin Murders by using Vivien and Violet Harmon as substitutes for victims Maria and Gladys. Maria and Gladys, now ghosts, intervene. Tate Langdon seems to know of their presence, as he instructs Violet to lead Fiona to the basement. When Constance and Moira arrive to discover the bodies, Tate denies being involved, claiming it was "them". Like the many victims of the Murder House before them, their spirits are then trapped in the house. Fiona and Dallas are among the numerous ghosts to manifest in front of Violet in the basement in Piggy Piggy ending her doubts about the House's haunting.

Bianca Forest

Bianca Forest
"I think I'm just afraid of being cut in half."
Portrayed by	Mageina Tovah
Cause of death	Murder House Tate Langdon
Relationships	Ben Harmon Tate Langdon
Appearances	Home Invasion

Bianca poses as a patient of Ben Harmon's. During their session, she tells him that she has a recurring dream of being cut in half while trying to escape a stuck elevator. She mentions to him that she discovered his house was on the "murder house tour". After their session, she claims to get lost trying to find her way out of the house.

Later, Bianca appears at the house as one of the R. Franklin Murder re-creators. She hid the Harmons' cell phones. She eats the ipecac-spiked cupcake and gets sick. As she is very sick, she calls out for her friends to take her to the hospital, but Tate soon hits her in the torso with an ax. Detectives later tell the Harmons that Bianca was found dead six blocks from the house, "nearly cut in half". They suspect she was killed by her fellow murder re-enactors who "tried to do a Black Dahlia on her".

Unlike her fellow accomplices Fiona and Dallas, Bianca does not appear in Murder House as a ghost because she did not die on the actual property.

Notes

• Bianca ironically died in a way similar to her dream: bisected at the waist.
• She was 21 years old at the time of her death.
• She was 5'5m tall and weighed 49kgs.
• Her phone number was 2135550817.

Fiona

Fiona
"You better not be messing with me."
Portrayed by	Azura Skye
Species	Ghost
Cause of death	Murder House Gladys
Relationships	Ben Harmon Hayden McClaine Gladys
Appearances	Home Invasion Rubber Man Piggy Piggy Afterbirth

Fiona arrives at the door using a ploy similar to R. Franklin's original lure. She appears to be bleeding at the head and claims an attacker to be outside. She pleads with Vivien to let her in. Initially, Vivien resists, going to phone the police before letting her in; she discovers the phone missing from the charging station in the kitchen, and bids Violet to lock herself in her room and call the police from her phone. Vivien returns to the door to warn Fiona, with a candlestick in hand; when she looks through the peephole again, Fiona is wearing a mask.

Fiona took charge of Violet, designating her as "Gladys". She also produces an ashtray, authenticated as the one used in the original incident. She is very concerned about the recreation being perfect. Violet is able to briefly escape, where Tate tells her to get the intruders into the basement. When they head upstairs, Violet taunts her, saying that she is unaware that the original bathtub was moved downstairs in a remodel, spoiling Fiona's idea of perfection. The two go down to verify, leaving an ailing Bianca behind. Violet escapes again, and Fiona comes face to face with Tate and Gladys. She is subsequently found soaking wet (presumably drowned), then got her throat slit.

As a ghost, Fiona appears to Violet in the basement, she and Dallas frighten Vivien inside her car when she and Violet were trying to escape the house, and she helps Hayden murder Ben by hanging him by the neck with a rope from the chandelier and making it look like a suicide.

Notes

• Fiona dies in a manner similar to that which she would have re-enacted as murderer.
• Fiona's body is never recovered, as Tate and Moira disposed of it.
• Fiona is the first character to be named 'Fiona'. And the other being Fiona Goode in Coven.

Dallas

Dallas
"Nobody's coming to help you."
Portrayed by	Kyle Davis
Species	Ghost
Cause of death	Murder House Maria Gladys
Relationships	Ben Harmon Hayden McClaine Gladys Maria
Appearances	Home Invasion Rubber Man Piggy Piggy Afterbirth

Dallas entered wearing a mask, sneaking up behind Vivien while she dealt with Fiona at the door. He held Vivien hostage in the Music Room while Fiona prepared Violet's homicide staging. Behind him, Vivien spied Adelaide and covertly told her to get help. When Dallas unties her to get her dressed in the uniform, Vivien tries to distract him. As they struggle, she is able to knock him out with the "historic" ashtray. The ghostly visage of Maria leads Dallas to his death in the basement as well, at the hands of Maria and Gladys. His throat is seen slit and there appear to be stab wounds.

As a ghost, Dallas appears to Violet in the basement, he and Fiona appear to scare Vivien inside her car when she and Violet were trying to escape the house, and he helps Hayden murder Ben by hanging him by the neck with a rope and making it look like a suicide.

Notes

• Dallas's name is never mentioned onscreen, it is listed in the episode credits.
• Dallas's body is never recovered, as Tate and Moira disposed of it.

Gallery

The two 1968 victims as ghosts

Maria shortly before her death.

Bianca Forest's arrest report.

Maria and Gladys watching some show

Bianca Shortly before getting decapitated in her dream

The Re-enactors

References

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