A Fort Dodge man could soon be charged with murder after the beating death of his former girlfriend. Fort Dodge police and the state D-C-I are waiting on an autopsy report to decide if charges should be filed in the death of a Fort Dodge woman this week.
Thirty-six-year-old Dawn Franker was found dead Tuesday at the domestic abuse/sexual assault outreach center shelter house where she’d been staying since last week. Franker underwent surgery a few days ago to repair a broken nose and other injuries received in an assault last Thursday.
Thirty-two-year-old James Altman allegedly assaulted Franker. He’s held in Fort Dodge on domestic assault and other charges. The full autopsy report could take six to eight weeks to complete.