Antoinette Renee Frank was born on April 30, 1971, in Opelousas, Louisiana. She grew up in a challenging environment with family struggles. Frank had a father who was known to have criminal issues. In the early 1990s, she would go on to pursue a career in law enforcement.

In early 1993, she applied to the New Orleans Police Department, seeking to become a police officer. During the process, she was caught lying on her employment application, and she failed two standard psychiatric evaluations. Despite these setbacks, Frank received another chance to apply. The New Orleans Police Department needed more officers, especially as they faced issues with high turnover and a shortage of personnel.

Frank was hired on February 7, 1993, and graduated from the police academy on February 28. She graduated near the top of her class, but her time in the department was not without challenges. Many of her fellow officers believed she was shy and lacked the necessary skills for police work. At various points, her supervisors expressed concern about her performance.

In November 1994, Frank encountered Rogers Lacaze, who was a known drug dealer. She initially treated him as a case in need of help but soon became romantically involved with him. This relationship raised eyebrows among her colleagues, as they witnessed Lacaze driving her police car and being present during her duties.

Despite repeated warnings and issues with her conduct, Frank continued to associate closely with Lacaze. Her decisions and personal life began to affect her professional responsibilities. She was often under supervisory review and struggled with the demands of being a police officer.

On March 4, 1995, Antoinette Frank and Rogers Lacaze visited a Vietnamese restaurant called Kim Anh in New Orleans East. Frank, who was off-duty, worked as a security guard, while Lacaze was believed to be her accomplice. During this visit, they planned to rob the restaurant, which was run by the Vu family. As the employees cleaned up after a long day, Chau Vu was counting money when she noticed Frank entering the restaurant.

Frank had been there twice earlier that night. When Chau let her out on the last visit, she had trouble finding the front door key. Sensing something was wrong, Chau quickly hid the money in a microwave just before Frank entered with a stolen key. Frank pushed several people into the kitchen and shot Ronald A. Williams II, a fellow officer working security that night. Williams was hit multiple times and mortally wounded.

Chau and her brother Quoc, along with another employee, hid in a walk-in cooler. They could see partial movements in the kitchen and heard the chaos unfold as Frank and Lacaze demanded money from Ha and Cuong Vu, who were also in the restaurant. Frank escalated the situation by attacking Cuong and fatally shooting both Ha and Cuong.

After the shooting, Frank and Lacaze fled the scene. Frank later returned, using a patrol car to pose as a responding officer, with the intention of eliminating any witnesses. As she approached the front of the restaurant, Chau recognized her and alerted the arriving officers that Frank was involved. Chau and Quoc reported what had happened, leading to Frank’s arrest.

Frank was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder. She later confessed to the crimes, along with Lacaze. They were indicted by a grand jury, and their trials were held separately. Frank's trial concluded quickly, with the jury finding her guilty within 22 minutes. She was sentenced to death in October 1995 and sent to Death Row.

In later investigations, police found a human skull beneath Frank's home, believed to be her father's, but no new charges were brought against her. She remained on Death Row while various appeals were considered over the years.