Phil Stanford is an American journalist and author based in Oregon. He is best known for his work on the 1989 murder of Oregon Department of Corrections director Michael Francke and his efforts to prove the innocence of Frank Gable, who was wrongfully convicted of the crime. His 1994 Oregonian series on the “Happy Face Killer” case resulted in two innocent people being released from prison.He is the author of Portland Confidential and three other books, as well as the lead writer and executive producer of the hit podcast series "Murder in Oregon: Who Killed Michael Francke?"