Bio

Frank Silva Roque was born on July 8, 1959, in the United States. He grew up in a challenging environment in California. Roque's mother had schizophrenia, which likely affected his upbringing and mental health. This family background may have contributed to his own mental health problems later in life.

As a young adult, Roque had some trouble with the law. He was arrested for attempted robbery in California in 1983. Despite this early run-in with the police, he went on to have a career as a Boeing aircraft mechanic. This job took him to Arizona, where he lived for several years.

Throughout his life, Roque held strong beliefs, which included negative views toward immigrants and some ethnic groups. He sometimes expressed these views openly to friends and coworkers. Reports suggest he had a narrow-minded perspective on different cultures, which raised concerns among those around him.

In the weeks leading up to significant events in September 2001, Roque became increasingly vocal about his beliefs. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, he made alarming statements about wanting to harm those he believed were connected to the attacks. 

Murder Story

On September 15, 2001, Frank Silva Roque drove to a Chevron gas station in Maricopa County, Arizona. He shot and killed Balbir Singh Sodhi, who was helping a landscaper at the time. Roque fired five shots from his truck using a .380 handgun. He believed Sodhi was a Muslim because of his turban, and claimed his actions were in retaliation for the September 11 terrorist attacks.

After this shooting, Roque drove to a Mobile gas station located ten miles away. He attempted to shoot a Lebanese-American clerk there but missed. Following this, he went to his former home, which was now owned by a local Afghani family, and fired multiple rounds at the outside of the house.

Later, Roque visited a local bar where he bragged about the murder, saying, "They're investigating the murder of a turban-head down the street." The next day, police arrested him outside his home. During the arrest, he yelled statements like "I am a patriot!" and "I stand for America all the way!"

Roque's trial began on August 18, 2003. His defense team argued that he was not guilty by reason of insanity due to his low IQ and mental health issues. Despite this, on September 30, 2003, he was found guilty of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to death on October 9, 2003.

In July 2005, while in prison, Roque was found guilty of a conspiracy charge related to a violent crime. He was also convicted in February 2006 for creating a primitive weapon in prison. In 2006, his death sentence was reduced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.