Who was Robert Fratta and what did he do? Details explored ahead of Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler 

Robert Fratta, a former Missouri City public safety officer, was executed on January 10, 2023, for orchestrating the 1994 murder of his estranged wife, Farah Fratta, in Atascocita, Texas.

The case gained national attention, especially when Fratta’s seven-year-old son testified during the trial, playing a key role in the prosecution’s case. Prosecutor Kelly Siegler led the effort to secure convictions for all individuals involved in the murder-for-hire plot.

Despite maintaining his innocence, Robert Fratta’s appeals were repeatedly denied, with the US Supreme Court rejecting a final attempt to halt the execution.

His legal team had argued that a witness was hypnotized by investigators, altering their initial recollection of the crime scene, but this claim failed to overturn the sentence. He was executed by lethal injection on January 10, 2023, at the age of 65.

The murder of Farah Fratta is the third case featured in the latest season of Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler, following the 1999 murder of Belinda Temple and the targeted killings of two Texas prosecutors and one of their wives. Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler will air the episode on February 8, 2025, on Oxygen, with new episodes premiering every Saturday at 8/7c.

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Farah Fratta, 33, was shot twice in the head in her Atascocita garage, while Robert Fratta long maintained his innocence

Robert Fratta, a former Missouri City public safety officer, was convicted and later executed for orchestrating the contract killing of his estranged wife, Farah Fratta, in 1994. According to ABC13 (January 11, 2023), Fratta hired middleman Joseph Prystash, who then enlisted Howard Guidry as the gunman. The murder occurred on November 9, 1994, during a prolonged divorce and custody dispute.

Farah Fratta was ambushed outside her home in Atascocita, where she was shot twice in the head. The crime was witnessed by her neighbor, Laura Hoelscher, who was nursing her child when she heard gunshots.

As per Oxygen.com (February 5, 2025), Hoelscher saw Fratta collapse and immediately alerted her husband, deciding to call 911 when she failed to move. During her emergency call, she reported the victim was shot twice and described seeing a man dressed in black fleeing the scene.

“She’s been shot two times,” Hoelscher reported. “There were two shots.” Oxygen.com (February 5, 2025)

Investigators determined that Robert Fratta had repeatedly expressed a desire to see his wife dead. Prosecutors cited his statements to acquaintances, including one remark where he allegedly said,

"I'll just kill her, and I'll do my time and when I get out, I'll have my kids," as per ABC13 (January 11, 2023).

Fratta was first convicted and sentenced to death in 1996, but his case was overturned due to improperly admitted confessions from his co-conspirators. However, he was retried and resentenced to death in 2009.

His attorneys later attempted to challenge the execution by arguing that key testimony had been altered due to witness hypnosis, but the appeal was rejected by the US Supreme Court. His final attempts to delay the execution, including a lawsuit against the use of allegedly expired lethal injection drugs, were also unsuccessful.

The murder case is now the focus of Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler, which revisits how Fratta used his religious affiliations and children to craft an alibi, believing it would protect him. The episode, airing on February 8, 2025, examines the legal battle that led to Robert Fratta’s conviction and execution.

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Stay tuned for more updates.