In a tragic and violent series of events, 36-year-old Derrick J. Franks of Radcliff, Kentucky, lost his life on Sunday, March 3, 2024. His body was discovered in the roadway in the 5000 block of North Dixie Highway, between Elizabethtown and Radcliff, after authorities received a call about a person down around 11 a.m. An investigation by the Hardin County Sheriff's Office revealed a grim narrative of his final moments.
Investigators determined that Franks had been shot in the face while
inside a vehicle driven by 25-year-old Cruz C. Frescas of Shepherdsville. After the shooting, Franks' body was brutally dragged from the car along the highway as Frescas fled the scene. The motive for the shooting has not been publicly released. The investigation quickly led law enforcement to identify Frescas as the primary suspect in the homicide.
Later on the same day as the discovery of Franks' body, authorities located Cruz C. Frescas and his vehicle in Shelby County, where he was subsequently arrested. Following his arrest, Frescas was held on a $500,000 bond. In April 2025, a jury found Cruz Frescas guilty of the murder of Derrick J. Franks. His sentencing was scheduled for the following month.
Derrick Franks, who was born on April 14, 1987, had relocated to Kentucky in 2016. He was a father of six children and was remembered by loved ones for his love of family and friends, and his passion for activities like basketball and dominoes. At the time of his death, he was employed as a clerk.
