On the evening of December 1, 1999, the life of 26-year-old Ellen Franco was tragically cut short in a violent encounter within her Phoenix, Arizona, residence. Having recently separated from her husband, Larry Franco, Ellen had moved in with her friends, Jennifer Farley and Lance Rush. That night, a knock on the door brought Ruben Garza, the nephew of Ellen’s estranged husband, into their home under the pretense of encouraging a reconciliation between the couple.
The visit, however,
took a horrifying turn when Garza brandished a handgun and shot Ellen twice. As chaos erupted, Lance Rush and Jennifer Farley desperately sought safety, barricading themselves in a bedroom. Jennifer hid herself away in a closet as Garza broke down the door and engaged in a struggle with Lance. The fight ended with Garza fatally shooting Lance three times. In the midst of the violence, Garza sustained a gunshot wound to his own arm before fleeing the scene of the double homicide.
A frantic 9-1-1 call from Jennifer Farley brought emergency services to the home, but despite the efforts of paramedics and surgeons, both Ellen Franco and Lance Rush died from their injuries. The subsequent police investigation swiftly led to the arrest of Ruben Garza the very next day.
Ruben Garza faced trial for the murders. A jury convicted him of two counts of first-degree murder. For the killing of Ellen Franco, Garza was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. For the murder of Lance Rush, he received a death sentence. The convictions and sentences were later upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court.
