Man accused of killing father in Portsmouth court building

PORTSMOUTH

The Lancasters, father and son, had a history of not getting along - Michael Lancaster went to prison after shooting his father four times more than 30 years ago.

On Thursday, the father, Franklin R. Lancaster Sr., 75, went to seek legal protection against his son. Franklin Lancaster didn't make it.

The retired city truck driver was stabbed to death in a General District Court basement hallway, steps from the magistrate's office. Police charged Michael Lancaster, 54, of the 1700 block of Richmond Ave., with first-degree murder; police said an officer found him nearby with blood on his hands.

The elder Franklin, of the 2100 block of Parker Ave., was headed to the magistrate's office shortly after 9 a.m. to get a restraining order against his son, said Detective Jan Westerbeck, a police spokeswoman. Michael Lancaster followed, the two argued and fought, and the father was stabbed several times in the upper body, she said.

A police probable cause summary states: “Ofc. Kirk heard the incident from the report writing room and as he entered the waiting area he observed Michael standing over the victim who was lying on the floor bleeding. Michael dropped the handle to a knife and was taken into custody.” The summary also says he waived his right to remain silent and confessed to the stabbing.

That summary was obtained Friday as Michael Lancaster made his initial appearance in Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. He was handcuffed and in jail clothing.

He asked the judge if he get bond. A bond motion hearing will be held on Monday, and a preliminary hearing was set for Dec. 15.

"He and my brother couldn't come to - I just don't know how to put it," said Angelia Clack, Franklin Lancaster's daughter and Michael Lancaster's sister. "It was just a misunderstanding between father and son."

"One word led to another," she said. "Families are like that."

Police park in the basement garage and the floor includes police offices. The area is accessible to the public and, unlike the first-floor courthouse entrances, is not monitored by sheriff's deputies with metal detectors, Westerbeck said.

Judges and the city have debated for years the need for updated court facilities, including for security.

Courthouse security is a national concern, said Morton Whitlow, the chief judge of the General District Court.

"There are violent, unstable people running around courthouses all over the country," the judge said. "The results are almost inevitable."

Michael Lancaster was sentenced in 1974 to five years in prison for shooting his father during a family quarrel, according to Virginian-Pilot archives.

The next year, he received another 35 years for murder and arson convictions for a fire witnesses said he set after fighting with his girlfriend; a male resident died in the blaze, the Ledger-Star reported at the time.

He was on unsupervised probation for a 2002 Norfolk conviction on robbery, according to online state court records. He got a 10-year sentence, with two to serve, in that case, online records say.

Clack said her brother had a "good heart," but he would get upset.

He had been home about five years after serving 25 years behind bars, she said. About four months ago, he lost his shipyard job.

After retiring from the city, her father started buying rental properties, purchasing his 11th about a month ago, Clack said.

She usually accompanied him when he ran errands, but not Thursday, she said.

"He wanted to take care of business on his own."

Matthew Bowers, (757) 222-3893, matthew.bowers@pilotonline.com

Janie Bryant, (757) 446-2453, janie.bryant@pilotonline.com