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Murder of Franklin Bradshaw

SOLVED1978Salt Lake City, Utah3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Franklin Bradshaw, an oil and auto parts millionaire based in Utah, was murdered on July 23, 1978. He was shot in the back of the head by his 17-year-old grandson, Marc Schreuder. Prosecutors alleged that the killing was instigated by Bradshaw's daughter, Frances Berenice Schreuder, who reportedly did not want to be cut out of her father's will and wished to continue funding her lavish lifestyle.

Frances Schreuder was born on April 6, 1938, in Salt Lake City, and died on March 30, 2004. Once Marc Schreuder's connection to the killing was discovered, it was alleged that Frances Schreuder manipulated her son through an abusive form of psychological "triangulation," using him to target and kill her father. The case also involved Frances Schreuder's mother, Berenice Bradshaw, who continued to support her daughter throughout the proceedings and later bequeathed her a share of the family estate.

Marc Schreuder was convicted of second-degree murder in 1982 and served 12 years in the Utah State Prison. Frances Schreuder was convicted of first-degree murder in 1983 and served 13 years in prison.

The case attracted significant media attention, inspiring two nonfiction books — At Mother's Request: A True Story of Money, Murder and Betrayal by Jonathan Coleman and Nutcracker: Money, Madness, Murder: A Family Album by Shana Alexander — as well as two television movies based on those books. A libel suit was filed against Alexander and her publisher by Schreuder's psychiatrist, Herman Weiner, over his mention in the book; the New York Court of Appeals ultimately ruled in favor of the author and publisher, finding the contested content to be protected opinion, a ruling that set legal precedent.

The case continued to receive coverage in later years, including television documentary treatments and contemporaneous newspaper reporting following Frances Schreuder's death in 2004.

Key facts

Victims
Franklin Bradshaw
Date
1978
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1938-04-06

    Frances Berenice Schreuder is born in Salt Lake City.

  2. 1978-07-23

    Franklin Bradshaw is shot and killed by his grandson, Marc Schreuder.

  3. 1982

    Marc Schreuder is convicted of second-degree murder.

  4. 1983

    Frances Schreuder is convicted of first-degree murder.

  5. 1987

    Two television movies based on the case, Nutcracker: Money, Madness and Murder and At Mother's Request, air.

  6. 1996-06-09

    Los Angeles Times reports on the estate inheritance following the death of Berenice Bradshaw.

  7. 2004-03-30

    Frances Schreuder dies.

  8. 2004-04-01

    The New York Times publishes an obituary on Frances Schreuder covering her conviction in the murder case.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Franklin Bradshaw

    VICTIM

    Utah oil and auto parts industrialist shot and killed on July 23, 1978.

  • Marc Schreuder

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of second-degree murder in 1982 for shooting his grandfather, Franklin Bradshaw; served 12 years in the Utah State Prison.

  • Frances Berenice Schreuder

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of first-degree murder in 1983 for instigating the killing of her father; served 13 years in prison.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Salt Lake City, Utah

40.7608, -111.8910

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Utah industrialist Franklin Bradshaw was shot to death in 1978 by his teenage grandson Marc Schreuder, who was later found to have acted at the instigation of his mother, Frances Schreuder, over concerns about her father's will and her lifestyle.
Where did the murder happen?
Salt Lake City, Utah.
Who was convicted?
Marc Schreuder (Convicted of second-degree murder in 1982 for shooting his grandfather, Franklin Bradshaw; served 12 years in the Utah State Prison.) and Frances Berenice Schreuder (Convicted of first-degree murder in 1983 for instigating the killing of her father; served 13 years in prison.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in Utah

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Franklin BradshawWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSWoman's Death Means Husband's Killer Finally Will Inherit EstateLos Angeles Times · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSFrances Schreuder, 65, Manhattan Socialite Who Was Convicted in Murder Case, Is DeadThe New York Times · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026
Last verified against sources
JUL 07, 2026