Mariah Franklin was a sixteen-year-old female resident of Independence, Missouri, whose life was tragically cut short on June 23, 2021. On that afternoon, she was at her family’s home in the 2300 block of South Crescent Avenue, preparing to go shopping with her mother for a new cell phone. Before they departed, Mariah briefly went back inside the residence to retrieve money she had been saving in a shoebox for a car. When she did not return, her family discovered she had been shot in her bedroom. The shoebox was found open with the cash missing, leading her mother to believe that the perpetrator had robbed her daughter before fleeing.
The investigation into her death has been prolonged and fraught with frustration for her family. Authorities eventually identified a suspect who was a juvenile at the time of the shooting. In February 2023, more than a year and a half after the murder, charges were filed against this individual in the juvenile division for second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Due to the suspect's age, their identity has been withheld from the public, and they have not been certified to stand trial as an adult.
Despite the charges and an outstanding warrant issued by the family court, the suspect remains at large as of late 2025. Law enforcement has not released specific details regarding the suspect's whereabouts, and the Franklin family has expressed deep concern that someone may be aiding the fugitive. Family members have stated they believe the attacker was someone known to Mariah and have been vocal in their pleas for the individual to be apprehended so that justice can finally be served.
