In the chill of a November evening in 2019, a home invasion in Wilkinsburg, a borough just east of Pittsburgh, turned fatal, claiming the life of 42-year-old Raymond B. Jackson. On that Thursday, November 14th, the familiar comfort of a Woodlawn Avenue residence was shattered when an intruder forced his way inside, forever altering the lives of the five people within, including an infant. In a sudden act of violence, Jackson was shot and killed.
The investigation that followed led police to identify Brandon Franklin as the suspect. Details emerged that painted a harrowing picture of the events that transpired inside the home. The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office pursued the case, building a legal argument against Franklin that culminated in a jury's decision. In August 2024, the scales of justice tipped, and Franklin was found guilty of second-degree murder, burglary, and conspiracy to commit both burglary and murder.
The final chapter of the legal proceedings came in November 2024, when Brandon Franklin was sentenced for his role in the deadly home invasion. A judge handed down a life sentence for the second-degree murder conviction, ensuring he would spend the remainder of his days behind bars. In addition to the life sentence, Franklin received a consecutive sentence of 22 to 44 years for the other crimes he was convicted of, a stern punctuation to a tragic and senseless loss.
