OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Rodney Franklin, the man charged with homicide in connection with the death of 73-year-old Keith Rieskamp, has pleaded not guilty in a courtroom on Wednesday.
Franklin was at the Winnebago County courthouse on Thursday for a preliminary hearing. During the hearing, the court found probable cause that a felony was committed. Franklin entered a not guilty plea and was bound over for trial.
Franklin remains in jail on a $500,000 bond.
Authorities say they found Keith Rieskamp on the 200-block of Doty Avenue in Neenah, near Shattuck Park, on Nov. 24, 2024, during a welfare check. They took him to a hospital, where he died.
According to the complaint, Rieskamp was homeless and staying in a shed behind the apartment building where Franklin lived.
Rieskamp was found by an officer who described his face as "pretty unrecognizable," appearing to have suffered numerous blows and massive trauma.
A brick that had a "large amount of red liquid substance" was found in a garage nearby, according to the complaint.
After talking to several people who knew the victim, investigators conducted a search warrant at Franklin's apartment on Nov. 24, where items belonging to the victim were found. Some of Franklin's belongings were also found with red staining that appeared to be blood, according to the complaint.
An autopsy revealed Rieskamp's cause of death to be multiple blunt force injuries and hypothermia, the complaint stated. A medical examiner doctor found extensive facial lacerations and contusions in the victim's body.
A second search warrant was conducted at Franklin's apartment on Nov. 28 to collect additional biological evidence.
In May of this year, a DNA analyst reported the brick found in the garage contained DNA from both the victim and Franklin. A reddish brown stain found in a shoe at Franklin's apartment also contained the victim's DNA. Additionally, many areas in Franklin's apartment illuminated for biological evidence, the complaint states.
Franklin's jury trial is scheduled to begin in the week of May 18.
