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A man obsessed with becoming a billionaire tech mogul in Silicon Valley committed a dreadful murder, taking the life of an innocent woman in her home, driven by a delusion that cannibalism was his path to success.
Francis Wolke, 32, killed 62-year-old Kathy Anderson in December 2018 after breaking into her property.
He carried out the brutal slaying by strangling Anderson, before stabbing her in the eye with a pen and then attempting to behead her.
This chilling crime is exposed in the premiere episode of the forthcoming Investigation Discovery series, The Tech Bro Murders, where contributors delve into Wolke’s motivations behind the homicide.
As per Tricia Povah, a deputy district attorney in San Mateo County, Wolke confided to his defense investigator about hearing voices, which urged him with phrases like ‘don’t back out, it’s time to join in.’
‘Wolke interpreted these voices as instructions to kill this person to enter the top 1 per cent, fulfilling his lifelong ambition to achieve success in Silicon Valley,’ she elaborated.
The 1 per cent referring to the top 1 per cent of individuals in terms of wealth.
Retired detective Sandra Brown from the Palo Alto PD added: ‘Moreover, these voices convinced Wolke that true entry into the 1 per cent required killing and consuming someone’s flesh.’
Wannabe tech bro Francis Wolke, 32, killed 62-year-old Kathy Anderson in December 2018
Wolke believed that by killing Anderson (pictured) he would be able to join the 1 per cent
Prior to the murder, Wolke was an aspiring tech enthusiast who relocated from Cincinnati, Ohio to Silicon Valley four years earlier, chasing his dreams of hitting it big.
He was described by some of his friends in the tech world as being ‘very smart’, but ‘isolated’ and ‘very arrogant’.
Over time, Wolke grew increasingly paranoid and he was eventually kicked out of his incubator house by other tech bros because of his behavior.
As a result of having nowhere to live, he returned home to Cincinnati, but decided to go back to California just days later.
Investigators determined that Wolke ended up in Anderson’s house because he was hungry and was looking for somewhere to stay.
He went into the home and ate some food before going upstairs, where he found the victim in her bed.
This is when Wolke claimed he heard voices urging him to kill Anderson.
Before Wolke could flee the scene of the crime, Anderson’s jilted ex-lover Daniel Baggett arrived at the house where he found Wolke coming out of one of the bedrooms.
Revealing why he felt compelled to check on Anderson on the night of the murder, Baggett said in the documentary: ‘I had this feeling in my stomach to go by the house.
Wolke was made homeless days before he carried out the murder after his former housemates became disturbed by his alarming behavior
Anderson’s ex-boyfriend was able to apprehend her killer after he paid an unannounced visit to her home in Silicon Valley
‘I tried calling her earlier in the day and the evening before, and I was unable to get a hold of her which was uncommon, she always answered her phone.’
Baggett said he noticed that Anderson’s rubbish bins were still outside in the drive, which was unusual, and that her car was also there.
‘I went inside and started calling her name,’ he continued. ‘I saw her headband laying on the ground and I went to the stairs, and that’s when he came out of what used to be my daughter’s bedroom.’
Baggett then grabbed a kitchen knife and apprehended the killer. He also called 911.
Before he was considered a hero in the case, Baggett found himself caught up in the investigation.
Ultimately, cops determined he had nothing to do with the murder.
Daniel Baggett, Anderson’s ex, arrived on the scene and called the cops
San Mateo County deputy district attorney Tricia Povah revealed that Wolfe started hearing voices, which instructed him to carry out the attack
‘I’m just glad I was able to do what Kathy would have wanted me to do, which was to make sure he [Wolke] didn’t get away,’ he said, tearing up.
Wolke was charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Anderson.
He plead not guilty on reason of insanity. Ultimately, the jury did not determine Wolke to be insane and they convicted him of first-degree murder with a penalty of 26 years to life.
The Tech Bro murders is a new six-part series guided by retired Palo Alto PD detective Sandra Brown.
The series investigates the dark side of Silicon Valley, exploring some of the most shocking and twisted murder cases going back to the early days of the tech boom.
Investigation Discovery’s The Tech Bro Murders premieres Tuesday, September 9 at 10/9c, with new episodes airing weekly. Episodes will be available to stream on HBO Max.
