On a spring day in 2018, the life of 36-year-old Vincent Franklin, a male resident of Chester, Pennsylvania, was brought to a violent and abrupt end. On May 21st, in the 500 block of Central Avenue, Franklin was ruthlessly gunned down in broad daylight. The brazen attack was captured on surveillance video, which would become a critical piece of evidence in the ensuing investigation.
The footage showed a man, later identified as Eric Johnson, exiting a Nissan Rogue and unleashing a barrage of bullets from a. 40 caliber handgun. As many as 22 shots were fired at Franklin, who was struck multiple times and succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation, a joint effort by the Chester Police Department and the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division, quickly identified two suspects. The man behind the wheel of the Nissan Rogue was 28-year-old Byron Minor, and the shooter was identified as 28-year-old Eric Johnson. Authorities revealed that the motive for the killing was a debt that Franklin owed to Johnson. The assistance of the community, coupled with the clear surveillance footage, led to the swift apprehension of both men. Johnson was arrested at a house in Chester, while Minor was taken into custody at his probation office in August of 2018. Following the shooting, the duo had a tense encounter with a Folcroft police officer as they fled the scene, during which the officer discharged his weapon at them, but they were not hit.
Byron Minor and Eric Johnson were both charged with first-degree and third-degree murder. Their legal journey culminated on February 20, 2020, when they were sentenced for their roles in the death of Vincent Franklin. A court of appeals document confirmed that both men were convicted of first-degree murder. For his part as the driver, Byron Minor received an aggregate sentence of 20 to 40 years of incarceration. Eric Johnson, the man who pulled the trigger, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
