The Tech Bro Murders: A complete timeline of Francis Wolke’s crime and conviction, explored

The first episode of The Tech Bro Murders has piqued the audience's interest in Francis Wolke’s life. He is the subject of the first episode of the true crime series, who became infamous for the murder of Kathleen Anderson.

Anderson was an innocent woman and an arborist who was murdered at her own home in California. Wolke invaded her home and brutally stabbed her in the eye. He later attributed his behavior to ‘voices in his head’.

However, Wolke was not always a criminal. He was initially a guy who dreamed of making it big in the tech field in California. Here is the complete timeline of how he went from being a regular guy to a convicted murderer, as seen on The Tech Bro Murders.

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The Tech Bro Murders: Timeline of Francis Wolke’s crime and arrest

Here is the chronology of events that happened in Francis Wolke’s life and have been portrayed in The Tech Bro Murders:

Early life and move to California

Francis Wolke grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his parents and seven siblings. After high school, he tried studying chemistry at the University of Cincinnati but failed academically. In 2014, he moved to Silicon Valley due to his keen interest in technology. He told his family that he had important connections there and dreamed of becoming as successful as the top tech founders.

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2014 - 2015: Life in Silicon Valley

In California, Wolke met Daniel Girshovich at a cryptocurrency event and stayed at his apartment for a while. Meanwhile, he worked tirelessly on an operating system he thought would give people more control over their computers.

But his strange behavior and constant friction with others made living with him difficult. Within six months, Girshovich asked him to leave. After that, Wolke was often homeless and later returned to Cincinnati when his parents bought him a bus ticket.

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2018: Return to California

The Tech Bro Murders reveals how just days before the murder, Wolke came back to California by bus. During the trip, he told people he heard voices and had strange thoughts. He believed the richest people in the world stayed powerful and young by killing people and eating human flesh. Wolke thought that if he did the same, he could join this so-called ‘1%’ wealth club.

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December 12, 2018: The murder and arrest

On December 12, 2018, Wolke went into the Menlo Park home of Kathleen “Kathy” Hughes Anderson, a 62-year-old woman who worked as an arborist in the town of Atherton. There was no sign that Wolke had ever met her before.

He initially tried to strangle her. When that did not work, he stabbed her in the eye with a pen. He then used a handsaw on her, leaving her almost decapitated. After killing her, Wolke stayed in the house. Reports later said he even lay down and took a nap, showing he did not fully realize how serious his crime was.

That night, Anderson’s friend, Daniel Baggett, called her multiple times and got worried when she did not answer. He went to her home and found Wolke covered in blood. Wolke admitted to killing her and Baggett grabbed a knife and held him there until police arrived. When officers came in, they at first arrested both men since each was armed. But they soon learned Wolke was the killer.

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2019 - 2023: Trial and sentence

As seen on The Tech Bro Murders, Wolke then underwent trial and pleaded not guilty as he blamed his insanity for the crime. His lawyers argued that voices and delusions made him do it. But prosecutors said he knew what he was doing. The jury agreed, finding him guilty of first-degree murder and sane at the time. In May 2023, a judge sentenced Wolke to 26 years to life in prison.

The Tech Bro Murders airs new episodes on Investigation Discovery on Tuesdays.