Oscar Stevie McDowell, a 40-year-old Black man from Elgin, Illinois, was known to some friends as “Sinna Row.” Born on September 10, 1982, he was a member of the Elgin community whose life came to a sudden and violent end in his own home, leaving loved ones to mourn and await the slow turn of justice.
The afternoon of Thursday, March 16, 2023, began with a visit from an acquaintance and some friends at Oscar's residence on the 1100 block of Fairwood Drive. According to prosecutors, at some point during the visit, Oscar showed the group a 9mm Ruger handgun. When he briefly stepped out of the room, one of the visitors, 18-year-old Brandon C. Franklin, allegedly grabbed the firearm. Franklin and the group of friends then fled the home with the stolen weapon. Oscar gave chase, and in the confrontation that followed, he was shot.
Elgin police officers responded to the scene at approximately 4 p.m., finding Oscar gravely wounded.
He had sustained a single, devastating gunshot wound to his abdomen. Paramedics rushed him to the ICU at Advocate Sherman Hospital, where medical staff fought to save his life. Despite their efforts, Oscar McDowell died from his injury about four hours later, around 8 p.m. An autopsy performed the next day by the Kane County Coroner’s Office confirmed that the gunshot wound was the cause of death.
The Elgin Police Department’s Major Investigations Division immediately took over the homicide investigation. In the initial aftermath, authorities described the shooting as an "isolated incident" but released few other details about the circumstances or any potential suspects. The case remained active but quiet for more than a year, as detectives worked to piece together the evidence. Police encouraged the public to come forward with any information, providing a dedicated phone line and an anonymous text-tipping service.
In 2024, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office announced a major development: Brandon C. Franklin of Hazel Crest had been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in Oscar’s death. Authorities alleged that Franklin had knowingly and intentionally fired the shot that killed Oscar McDowell. He was taken into custody and booked into the Kane County Jail to await trial.
Franklin’s case drew wider attention as his lawyers sought his pretrial release under Illinois’s controversial SAFE-T Act. They argued for him to be placed on electronic home monitoring. A Kane County judge initially denied the request, describing Franklin's alleged conduct in stealing the weapon and shooting Oscar as "impulsive and violent" and a threat to public safety. However, a state appellate court later ruled that the judge had erred in concluding Franklin was automatically ineligible for release because of the serious charge. The higher court sent the case back to the trial judge to reconsider whether conditions, including home monitoring, could mitigate any potential threat, without expressing an opinion on whether he should ultimately be released.
The case against Brandon C. Franklin is currently proceeding through the Kane County court system. As of the latest reports, the full details of the evidence and the motive behind the fatal shooting have yet to be presented in a public trial. Oscar McDowell was laid to rest at Bluff City Cemetery in Elgin, leaving a community to remember him and await a final resolution in his case.
The Elgin Police Department continues to ask anyone with information to call 847-289-2600 or to text an anonymous tip to 847411, including "ELGINPD" at the beginning of the message.
