Amarillo police have arrested Skylar Lee Mensen, Jesse James Franklin and Dennis Charles Carlson in connection with the fatal shooting of Bradley Thompson, 48. Police said Thompson was shot several times on Oct. 22 near Southwest 40th Avenue and South Polk Street. On Nov. 3, police said they filed more charges against Franklin and Carlson.
Court filings say 911 callers reported multiple gunshots in the 4000 block of Polk. The callers told police they saw two white men get out of a compact SUV and fire multiple rounds at Thompson. They said the men then drove off in reverse. According to the filings, home security footage obtained by investigators showed the men getting back into the SUV.
The filings say Franklin had recently argued with Thompson. Police found Franklin hiding in the backseat of a car during a traffic stop, the documents say. Franklin first told police that Carlson was the shooter. In a later interview, he admitted that Mensen was the shooter and said he had lied because Carlson directed him to. The filings say Franklin then told investigators where to find the murder weapon, and it was recovered. He also told investigators that Mensen had been shot during the incident.
According to criminal complaints, Franklin is referred to as a "member" of the Aryan Brotherhood, and Carlson is described as part of its "identifiable leadership." Carlson is accused of directing other members to commit "aggravated assault or retaliation."