Near the end of his term, popular Georgia governor John Slaton commuted Frank’s sentence to life imprisonment. This decision was met with great uproar and the state militia had to be called to protect the governor and his family. Frank was moved from a prison in Atlanta to the more secure Milledgeville Prison Farm. However, twenty-five people overpowered guards at the prison farm and captured Frank. They took him down to Marietta, Georgia, and lynched him. No charges were ever filed against any of the suspected lynchers.