Wayne Holm

H. Wayne Holm (July 14, 1955 - October 22, 1991) was an American private investigator who became known in connection with the investigation into the murder of Oregon Corrections Director Michael Francke. Holm, working as a private investigator, contracted by the defense team for Frank Gable, a small-time criminal, accused of the murder of the Oregon Corrections Director. Although Gable was eventually convicted of the murder, and is currently serving a life sentence without parole in an out-of-state prison, there were and continue to be many in the state of Oregon do not accept the official verdict, believing either that Gable is altogether innocent of the crime, or that he, or another perpetrator was a hired hit man rather than a chance car burglar. Corruption in the prison system was widely suspected by many in the state, and many believe that Francke's murder was ordered by corrections officials in order to end his investigation into alleged corruption.
Despite the fact that Holm was killed well within the confines of the City of Portland, the Portland Police Bureau was not permitted to participate in the investigation and follow-up of Holm's death, which was conducted entirely by officers of the Multnomah County Sheriff's office. Though the Sheriff's office and the Multnomah County District Attorney attempted to portray the death as a simple drug arrest gone bad, no explanation was ever given as to why a "reverse sting" was utilized. According to written guidelines of the Multnomah County District Attorney, such a sting is only supposed to be utilized to obtain evidence against major drug dealers, however no allegations or evidence against Holm were ever brought forward.
Many in the Oregon legal community, friends and acquaintances of Holm, who had been considered one of the state's leading experts on the "matrix" parole system in use in Oregon at that time, expressed disbelief in the official version of events. Added to the
controversy, was the fact that although a weapon was recovered at the scene, it could not be linked to Holm. In an effort to force a more thorough investigation, Holm's family paid for a private autopsy, conducted by Dr. Michael Brady, the former Oregon State Medical Examiner.

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