Dominique Franklin, a 25-year-old African American male, was tragically killed on October 3, 2017, in Bryan, Texas. On that fateful day, multiple men wearing masks and carrying guns gathered at 1506 Frankfort Street in Bryan. They demanded money and narcotics from the occupants of the home. Dominique Franklin and another victim, Tarrant Franklin, were forced at gunpoint to lay face down in their living room. Another man and woman present at the home were also forced to lie on the floor.
After robbing the men and burglarizing the home, the assailants shot and killed Dominique Franklin and Tarrant Franklin. A third victim, David Jenkins, was also shot but survived thanks to the quick response and combat medical skills of a Bryan Police officer who arrived on the scene.
The investigation into the double homicide led to the arrest of Frankie Lee Bell, Jr., a 34-year-old African American male. Bell was identified as a suspect after an anonymous tip and cellphone records placed him at the scene of the crime. Bell had a history of violent crime, having previously served a twelve-year sentence for a shooting in 2005. He had been out of prison for only a few months before committing the murders of Dominique and Tarrant Franklin. Bell was apprehended with the help of the United States Marshals Service after fleeing to Houston. He was eventually found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The case was prosecuted by the Brazos County District Attorney's Office, with the Bryan Police Department leading the investigation and receiving assistance from the College Station Police Department. The conviction of Frankie Lee Bell, Jr. brought some measure of justice to the families of the victims, but the community was left grappling with the loss and the sense of safety that had been shattered by the brutal crime.
