Francis John "Frank" Dowler (b. 21 July 1964; d. 2012) was a guardsman with the 237th Transportation Company of the California National Guard, and a resident of Manteca. In both military and civilian life Dowler was a big-rig driver.
He joined the Guard in 1986, and deployed to Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm on 20 September 1990, arriving on 3 November. While on leave aboard the Saudi Princess in March of 1991, he and three buddies from the Guard drugged and raped a Danish journalist, Anneke Jesperson. The crime was covered up by J. J. Drummond, making Dowler indebted to him. His unit returned to the United States on 23 April 1991.
During the riots of 1992 his Guard unit was mobilized. While in L.A. the men realized that Jesperson was following them. After Drummond killed her, Dowler was directed to "find" her body and report it to the LAPD. It is not clear why this was done rather than simply allowing the body to be found later.
When the conspiracy began to unravel, Dowler was killed by Drummond.