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Updated Dec. 12, 2007, 4:12 p.m. ET
Chicago murder suspect uses MySpace page to defend himself


Reginald Potts, who is accused of killing a woman he dated, described his mood as 'hopeful' on his MySpace page.

While some crime suspects have found their photos, comments and blog entries from MySpace presented as evidence against them in court, a Chicago murder suspect is using his site to try to clear his name.

Reginald Potts, who was charged Friday with murdering a girl he dated, used his MySpace page to describe his relationship with Nailah Franklin, whose body was found Sept. 27.

Police named Potts, 30, as a suspect after the disappearance of 28-year-old Franklin, who was trying to get a restraining order against him. Potts initially gave police an alibi for Sept. 18, the night she disappeared, but authorities now say Potts was lying.

Potts was charged with murder based on cellphone records indicating he was in the same area as Franklin the night she disappeared. Her partially buried body was found a week after she went missing, behind a vacant building in Calumet City.

Police believe Potts buried her, then took her cellphone and drove her car to Hammond, Ind., based on his cellphone records.

According to both Potts and police, the two had dated on and off in the months leading up to Franklin's death. On Potts' MySpace page, he writes about what he calls misconceptions about their relationship.

On Oct. 10, Potts wrote a MySpace post he called his "official statement" about his relationship with Franklin, his criminal record and his feelings about Franklin's disappearance. In the post, Potts said he met Franklin in the spring of 2006 and they began seeing each other. Franklin wanted a relationship. Potts said he didn't.

Potts claimed Franklin became angry when he told her he didn't want to commit and told him not to speak to her. But after a few days she would call again, saying she missed him, according to the blog.

Their relationship grew even more tumultuous when Franklin sent an e-mail to friends about Potts' criminal record, specifically a news story about his escape from FBI custody in 2001, when he was charged with threatening to kill a police officer. Potts was later rearrested and convicted.

In retaliation, Potts wrote what he called "an email I truly regret sending," which he contends was just a way of telling Franklin to move on with her life.

" ... you MADD that I won't accept you calls or Come f--- you when you call me at night, but talking s--- and sending articles about s--- I did years ago does not embarrass me, it only makes you look desperate," he wrote in the e-mail.

He threatened to circulate a video of her performing oral sex on him, so Franklin went to police for an order of protection. But before the order was ever issued, Franklin went missing.

Those threats led police to suspect Potts was involved in her disappearance, but he claims he was just blowing off steam.

"Being mean-spirited in that email does not make me a murderer," Potts wrote on his MySpace page.

Nailah Franklin's body was found Sept. 27.
Nailah Franklin's body was found Sept. 27.

At a bond hearing Monday, prosecutors said they had surveillance videos that showed a man who looked like Potts in the parking garage on the two nights before Franklin disappeared. Prosecutors said several residents from Franklin's building identified Potts as the man they saw.

"We actually have them together on surveillance on the day she turned up missing," Milan told CourtTVnews.com.

Prosecutors also said they had secured a threatening voice mail Potts left for Franklin, which her friends heard.

"In the weeks leading up to the homicide, he left a voice mail ... on which he said he could have her erased," Milan said.

At the time of Franklin's disappearance, Potts said he was at a Target store with friends, but cellphone records and surveillance tapes showed him miles away. Instead, that night, Potts called his friends to pick him up one block from where Franklin's car would eventually be found, Milan said.

Potts frequently sought out local media in Chicago while he was a suspect to proclaim his innocence. On his MySpace page, Potts uploaded cellphone videos of his interactions with police detectives in which he denies being involved in Franklin's death.

On his MySpace page, Potts listed his mood as "hopeful."

"Reginald IS HOLDING ON," a message says. "I REFUSE TO LET THIS DESTROY ME!"

Potts, who is charged with first-degree murder, robbery and auto theft, was ordered held in Cook County Jail without bond Monday. Prosecutors said they may seek the death penalty if he is convicted of the murder charge.



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