Ken Franklin was one half of a mystery-writing duo with Jim Ferris until 1971, when Ferris, who had done all of the actual writing, wanting to break it off to go solo. Franklin, who by this time had become accustomed to an expensive lifestyle, realized that this would leave him high-and-dry so he decided to murder Ferris. He was later forced to murder general store owner Lily La Sanka when she tried to blackmail him with her own witness testimony. In the end, however, Franklin was caught out and arrested by Lieutenant Columbo.
In the 1971 season 1 episode Murder by the Book, Ken Franklin was portrayed by American actor Jack Cassidy, who later play the villain two other Columbo episodes; Publish or Perish and Now You See Him.