Man accused of murdering football player Du'Vonta Lampkin takes the stand

DALLAS - The man accused of murdering a former NFL and OU football player took the stand on Thursday to testify in his own defense.

Du'Vonta Lampkin was shot and killed in a Downtown Dallas Airbnb in May 2022. 

Two men, Antwan Franklin and Erick Garcia, are accused of robbing and killing Lampkin for a backpack full of cash.

When he took the stand on Thursday morning, Franklin confessed to buying and selling marijuana as a side job. He said that’s how he knew Lampkin.

Franklin claimed he told Garcia that Lampkin had about $20,000 in cash in a backpack because he owed Garcia $1,200. He claimed he was afraid because Garcia had threatened him.

Franklin said he expected Garcia and a third man, John Williams, to break into the Airbnb where Lampkin was staying and steal his money while he wasn’t there.

"I was trying, I was trying to just make like after me being threatened. I was just trying to make everything go well as planned to make him happy but not get anyone hurt," he said.

Franklin told the jury he was not upstairs inside Lampkin’s Airbnb when the murder happened. He said he took an Uber home and was hoping no one got hurt.

But during cross-examination, prosecutors grilled Franklin about social media messages between him and Garcia that repeatedly mentioned a robbery, his cut of the $20,000, and the fact that they should wait for Lampkin to get there. 

Prosecutors also questioned Franklin about why the messages made it seem like he was the one calling the shots.

Franklin maintained that he didn’t want anyone to get hurt and that he was the one under duress.

Closing Arguments

Both sides gave their closing arguments before handing the case off to the jury on Thursday afternoon.

Prosecutors reminded jurors that it doesn’t matter if Franklin was the one who pulled the trigger or not. By law, he’s still responsible.

"You now know that Antwon Franklin coordinated a robbery whereby Eric Garcia and John Williams followed Du’Vonta Lampkin into his Airbnb, and they rob him. And during the course of that robbery, he’s murdered," the prosecutor said. "I’m still responsible for what happens and what my other co-defendants do in furtherance of my plan."

The defense argued the state did not prove Franklin intended to kill Lampkin, also pointing out there’s no evidence that anyone involved in the case had a gun.

"Their intent was to steal money and steal drugs," the defense attorney said. "After that, we don’t know what they did."

"I think it’s quite obvious that he was intentionally setting up that robbery. I think it’s quite obvious that Du’Vonta has passed away from a gunshot wound. How do we know what’s going on in this case? It was a quick thing I showed you guys on the door locks," said Jacob Zachariah, the lead prosecutor. 

He reviewed the timeline again and told jurors they get to use their common sense and make a reasonable inference on the evidence that was presented.

Jurors are now deliberating the case.

What happened on the first day of testimony?

On the first day of testimony, the state showed the jury social media messages as evidence, saying they proved Franklin worked with Garcia to rob and kill Lampkin.

Prosecutors said Franklin knew Lampkin had lots of cash on him from allegedly dealing marijuana.

"Antwan set this whole thing up. There’s going to be Instagram messages that you’re going to see between Erik Garcia and Antwan Franklin setting up this robbery," said Jacob Zachariah, the lead prosecutor. "Antwan set up this robbery so that he too could profit off of it."

The Backstory

Lampkin's murder was featured on FOX 4’s Trackdown. 

Video featured on the segment showed two men entering the Airbnb where Lampkin was staying in Downtown Dallas.

One man is seen leaving with Lampkin’s backpack that was filled with thousands of dollars in cash.

Police said Franklin knew Lampkin on some level and hung out with him before the incident.

Franklin, after being arrested and released on bond, disappeared for more than a year. He was featured on Trackdown a second time this summer.

"In June of 2023, he cut his ankle monitor off," Officer B.K. Nelson with the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force told FOX 4 in July.

That same month, a woman driving an SUV with Franklin inside got away from police trying to grab him in Mesquite.

But a FOX 4 viewer who saw the segment contacted the U.S. Marshals and Franklin was arrested by Richardson police at an apartment complex.

Williams, the third suspect mentioned during the trial, was also arrested at the time. Franklin implicated him in the crime.

But as Williams' trial began, the judge declared a mistrial. And when the case went to trial for a second time, he was found not guilty.

Garcia has not yet gone to trial.

Who was Du'Vonta Lampkin?

Lampkin briefly played for the Tennessee Titans after three years of playing for the Oklahoma University.

He was in the process of moving back home to North Texas when he was killed.

On Wednesday, his best friend took the stand and talked about finding his body after going to check on him.

He testified he was so distraught that his girlfriend at the time, who was not with him at the apartment, had to call 911.

"He was dead when I walked in. He was dead. Eyes open, blood on the floor. He was dead," Devonaire Clarington said.

Franklin’s mother and aunt were in the courtroom on Wednesday. They told FOX 4 they’ll comment after the trial ends.

Downtown DallasCrime and Public Safety