Alabama – A 37-year-old Alabama woman, S. Franco, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murders of her two young sons. Judge M. Williams gave Franco two concurrent life sentences after she pleaded guilty to two counts of capital murder for the deaths of 3-year-old Alvaro and 9-year-old Taylor.
The investigation began on October 12, 2019, when deputies responded to a distress call at Franco’s home. Sheriff M. Gentry described the scene as one that could not be prepared for. A K-9 unit led officers across an open field, where they found Franco with multiple self-inflicted wounds and a knife nearby. Franco was immediately airlifted to a hospital and placed in intensive care due to the severity of her injuries. Deputies kept her under constant surveillance during her hospitalization.
The investigation revealed that Franco had strangled her sons before fatally cutting their throats. This violent act ended two innocent lives and left a community and its law enforcement in shock and sorrow. After her recovery, Franco was transferred to a state mental health facility, where she stayed until July 2021, reflecting ongoing concerns about her mental state and the legal complexities of her case.
In early 2020, a grand jury indicted Franco, leading to her guilty plea in 2023. Swift judicial proceedings resulted in her receiving two concurrent life sentences, influenced by the dropping of an additional charge of capital murder of two or more persons during the proceedings. DA C. Crocker expressed that no punishment could truly compensate for Franco’s actions.
Franco was also ordered to pay significant financial penalties: $20,000 to the Crime Victim’s Compensation Assessment, roughly $10,584 in restitution, and $10,000 in court costs. These fines represent a small part of the ongoing impact of this case on the community and the judicial system.
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