Leo Frank Trial Testimony: Frances Coleman Speaks First in Atlanta, July 28, 1913

This AI-generated video covers Frances Coleman’s testimony as the first witness in the Leo Frank trial on July 28, 1913, at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta. Coleman, Mary Phagan’s mother, testified that her daughter left home at 11:45 AM on April 26, 1913, to collect her pay at the National Pencil Company, where Leo Frank was superintendent. She detailed Mary’s attire—a lavender dress, blue hat with pink flowers, and silver mesh bag—later identified as State’s Exhibit M at the crime scene. This testimony established that Frank, who admitted to seeing Mary, had the opportunity to commit the murder, as her body was found in the factory basement, raped and strangled. Coleman’s precise description of Mary’s clothing, found in Frank’s workplace, directly linked the crime to him, supporting the prosecution’s case. The trial, documented in the Leo Frank Trial Brief of Evidence, resulted in Frank’s conviction, his 1915 lynching after a commutation, and the ADL’s founding. As of May 26, 2025, the case remains debated, with the Georgia Innocence Project seeking exoneration, opposed by Phagan’s family. X discussions highlight this divide, with some citing Alonzo Mann’s 1982 affidavit, while others support the verdict based on Coleman’s testimony. #evidence #crime #news