Father: Sniper Victim Talked About Safety

The father of an Indiana native who police believe was the latest victim of a serial sniper said he and his daughter spoke about her safety shortly before she was killed.

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Sniper Victim Was Indiana Native, Uncle Says Uncle: Niece Left Pentagon Just Before 2001 Terrorist Attack

Linda Franklin, 47, of Arlington, Va., was felled by a single shot to the head Monday night as she and her husband, Ted, were loading their red convertible with items for their new home.

Investigators said ballistics evidence Tuesday connected the slaying to the gunman who has killed eight other people and wounded two more since Oct. 2.

Franklin's father, Charles Moore, of Gainesville, Fla., said she told him by phone Monday that she was taking safety precautions because of the sniper attacks, but he did not think she had any special fear.

"I don't think Linda really ever was afraid of anything," he said. "She assured us absolutely every time we talked that she was being careful. She even said she wasn't going shopping anywhere near the interstates since they were saying the other shootings happened near areas where the person could make a fast getaway."

Franklin was born in Columbus, Ind., in 1955, and her family moved to Florida when she was in elementary school.

RTV6's Kristi Tedesco spoke with an uncle of Franklin's who still lives in the area.

"She was a very caring person, and did whatever she could to help her son ... and her daughter," the uncle, Glen Easterday, said during an interview at his Columbus home Tuesday.

Franklin's son and daughter are grown, Easterday said. Franklin was soon to be a grandmother, as her daughter is expecting a child early next year, Easterday said.

Easterday's girlfriend of 17 years, Sue Warren, said Franklin's family had been worried about the recent sniper attacks.

"Her mother did say, 'Linda, you'd better watch out for what's going on around you.' And Linda, not wanting her mother to worry, (said) 'Mom, don't worry,' " Warren said.

Easterday and Warren said they are planning to attend Franklin's funeral in the Washington area.

Police did not believe the attack had any connection with Franklin's work as a terrorism specialist for the FBI. David Wray, an agency spokesman, said Franklin worked in the financial sector at the FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center in Washington.

Franklin recently had a double mastectomy following breast cancer and was still in physical therapy, said a friend, Paul Hulseberg. She and her husband were preparing to move to a new home.

Franklin played a major role in establishing the FBI center's biggest success, the InfraGard program in which the government shares tips and warnings with private companies and organizations that promise not to divulge the information publicly.

Family members said Franklin sometimes attended briefings at the Pentagon, and was there the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. She left before a hijacked jetliner hit the building.

"Then the sniper gets her," said Michelle Dunbar, Warren's daughter. "What are the chances of that?"