Franklin Tyrone Tucker

While previously Franklin Tyrone Tucker was an entrepreneur and advocate for causes defending the homeless and the need for criminal justice reforms, it wasn't until 2017 that he would gain notoriety after being arrested for the Tree House Murder in Key West, FL. The public's attention was further bolstered when his childhood friend Lauren Jenai of CrossFit fame came to his aid and helped him to mount a defense against the charges he was facing. While working on his defense and while he was still incarcerated in the Monroe County Jail, the two fell in love and decided to get married. 

This caused another round of media sensation in 2019, as Jenai traveled to Key West to proceed with the jailhouse wedding without a prenup but Tucker was granted a 2 million dollar bond on the exact day the event was to take place. Inside Edition caught the first kiss that the couple ever shared, after Jenai paid the bond and Tucker was released after serving 2 years behind bars. Lauren and Ty (Tucker's Nickname) then flew back to Jenai's home in Portland, Oregon with Jenai's 4 children where they would live and continue with Tucker's defense.

The two would eventually get married in June of 2020 but due to COVID restrictions were forced to have a small ceremony on the front lawn of the couple's home. However, this magic was to be short lived as they separated in the summer of 2021 after only being married for one year. The NY Post covered their separation with both Lauren and Ty citing stresses of Tucker's defense and his status on house arrest as a major causes of the breakup. Jenai would go on to state that she still believed in Ty's innocence and would continue to support him in his defense, while Tucker despite their issues is quoted as saying "Don’t even think I don’t love Lauren — I will always love that woman.”

Over the years other media stories besides their “whirlwind romance” have surfaced concerning the Tree House Murder and Tucker's defense. One story went virial when a Captain in charge of the investigation was fired for commanding a subordinate to act like a “Neo Nazi” and “White Supremacist” while pulling over a black suspect in the case. This would again make headlines when that same Captain, Penny Phelps, filed a lawsuit against Jenai, Tucker, their attorney Cara Higgins and the Sheriff of Monroe County, Rick Ramsay over her termination. She alleged that Tucker, Jenai and Higgins engaged in a conspiracy to have her wrongfully terminated named “Project Mayhem” and that the Sheriff was discriminating against her because she is openly gay (The case is still pending). Likewise, the original prosecutor on the case, Colleen Dunne was forced to resign after the Florida BAR suspended her law license for misconduct in another case and then again recently for misconduct in Tucker's case. Other incidents of mention were stories surrounding the Lead Detective's testimony that Phelps and Dunne had “coached witnesses and fabricated evidence” in the attempt to prosecute Tucker. That the surviving victim Ms. Paula Belmonte petitioned the court to be able to apologize to Tucker for any part she may have had in his arrest, even though she stated to the authorities on numerous occasions that he was not involved. This became a point of contention after Tucker's lawyers did the initial filings for a lawsuit against the County, Sheriff's Office and State Attorney's Office attempting to preserve Ms. Belmonte's testimony for a civil case that also made headlines. Also in the press was a ruling by Judge Mark Jones in 2021 that Tucker, Jenai, their attorney's and others associated with the case be placed under a “gag order” preventing them from speaking publicly about the events.

Not much is known about the couple after their separation in the summer of 2021. Jenai has made some public appearances and done some interviews promoting her company Manifest and opining on different subjects concerning health and fitness but makes no mention of her husband. Tucker is still on house arrest in an apartment located in Clackamas, Oregon but according to his social media profiles he has engaged in a project that has transformed his residence into a single piece of art. He has also continued to advocate for reforms in the criminal justice system and according to public filings started his own company in 2021 called “Inspirational Investments LLC.” The company is described as a holding and management company that specializes in trading digital assets and according to Tucker's LinkedIn profile the company has grown exponentially over the last year. As of this writing, he has not spoken with the media since his breakup with Jenai.

Only recently has this strange tale and the tragic romance returned to the headlines with one of Tucker's co-defendants John Travis Johnson, agreeing to testify against him in exchange for his release and 5 years' probation. This same individual would testify against the third defendant, Rory Hank Wilson in his trial which concluded just recently in a guilty verdict and a sentence of life imprisonment + 20 years for the robbery and killing of Matthew Bonnet. After his sentencing Mr. Wilson was permitted to speak and claimed corruption and misconduct were at the heart of the Tree House case and that the truth would be revealed during Tucker's trial (as of now, no trial date has been set).

As for the lovestruck defenders of justice? The NY Post released an article on the 26th of December that has been rapidly reproduced by other media outlets proclaiming that “Lauren Jenai is Off the Hook for the $2 Million in Bail” and that sources say the couple plans to divorce after the resolution of Ty's case. Neither Ty or Lauren have responded to the claims as of yet and neither party has filed for even legal separation much less divorce but given the length of time living apart, Lauren's silence about her husband during her interviews or any information at all to the contrary, it seems that this fairy tale is almost over and there won't be a happy ending.