Bio

Bryan Anthony Toles was born on September 9, 1971. He grew up in Lawton, Oklahoma. Information about his early life is limited. Toles had some legal troubles at a young age, which included past convictions for robbery and burglary. These experiences may have shaped his later behavior.

Toles was friends with David Flowers and Casey Young. On July 16, 1993, Toles and his friends decided to steal a car after leaving a local bar. They walked past the Franceschi home and viewed a red Mustang parked in the driveway. Since none of them knew how to hot-wire the car, they made the decision to obtain the keys instead. Toles rang the doorbell while his friends hid nearby and covered their faces with bandannas.

When a 15-year-old boy named Lonnie Franceschi answered the door, Toles forced his way inside. What happened after that led Toles down a path that would change many lives forever. After the incidents that occurred at the Franceschi home, Toles was arrested the next day. He confessed to his involvement in the events that unfolded.

Toles was executed in Oklahoma on July 22, 2003, but the events of his early life and choices he made contributed to his later actions.

Murder Story

Bryan Anthony Toles committed his murders on July 16, 1993, in Lawton, Oklahoma. Toles, along with two accomplices, David Flowers and Casey Young, approached the Franceschi home with the intent to steal a car parked in the driveway. They were returning home from a bar and were tired of walking.

They did not know how to hot-wire the red Mustang that was in front of the Franceschi's house, so Toles rang the doorbell while Flowers and Young hid. Young had already loaded a .22 caliber revolver and handed it to Toles. When Lonnie Franceschi, who was 15 years old, opened the door, Toles forced his way inside, pointed the gun at Lonnie, and ordered him to get down.

While Toles restrained Lonnie, Flowers and Young moved through the house. Norma Franceschi, Lonnie's mother, heard the commotion and came to see what was happening. She screamed for her husband, Juan Franceschi, who was 39. Juan briefly struggled with Toles' accomplices before joining his wife.

During this struggle, Toles shot Juan in the arm and then in the chest as the family attempted to retreat toward the bedroom. Toles’ actions escalated as he followed the Franceschi family, aiming at Juan's head. However, when Norma grabbed his arm, he turned and shot Juan in the chest. Despite being injured, Juan continued to resist.

Norma managed to escape to her daughter’s bedroom, hiding in a waterbed drawer. Meanwhile, Lonnie was still on the floor when Toles noticed him. Concluding that Lonnie could identify him, Toles shot him in the back of the head at close range before leaving the house.

After the shootings, Toles and his accomplices fled the scene. They later disposed of their bloody clothes and returned to the residence of a friend. That afternoon, Toles was arrested while using a pay phone.

During his subsequent police interviews, Toles initially denied shooting anyone. However, he later confessed to the murders on video. He stated he shot Juan and Lonnie because he thought they could identify him.

Toles was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. In 1994, a jury found him guilty and sentenced him to death. His accomplice, Flowers, received a life sentence. Toles was ultimately executed by lethal injection on July 22, 2003, in Oklahoma.