Pa. woman Na Cola Darcel Franklin accused of stabbing fiance to death hours before their wedding

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

CBS

(CBS/AP) HOKENDAUQUA, Pa. - Na Cola Darcel Franklin spent her weekend in jail when she was supposed to be celebrating her first days as a newlywed. She is accused of killing her fiancé at their eastern Pennsylvania apartment hours before they were to get married.

Franklin, 31, was charged with criminal homicide Saturday morning in the stabbing death of 36-year-old Billy Brewster in their Whitehall Township apartment. She seemed unable to grasp her fiancé's death during her arraignment by video from jail Saturday, when she reportedly pleaded to the judge, "You got to check again!"

District Judge Donna Butler told her that Brewster had been pronounced dead earlier, to which Franklin wailed and covered her face in her hands. When asked if she understood the homicide charge against her, Franklin wept and choked out the words one at a time.

"I ... did ... not ... kill ... him ... on ... purpose," she said, according to the Morning Call newspaper.

Franklin and Brewster were to be married at 10 a.m. Saturday, and police said they were called to the apartment shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday. They said they found Brewster bleeding from the torso as he lay on the landing outside his apartment.

Brewster was pronounced dead a little over an hour later at a hospital, District Attorney Jim Martin said. The Lehigh County coroner's office said a preliminary investigation revealed two stab wounds that resulted in a punctured heart.

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by pammmmmm August 13, 2012 7:51 PM EDT: Sad sick girl...now for the rest of her life she'll sit in prison knowing that she destroyed her future happiness over a stupid anger issue! In a weird way I send my condolences to her and all that loved him.; Reply to this comment


by MrLagg August 13, 2012 6:09 PM EDT: Everybody knows that it is bad luck to see the bride on the day of the wedding before you get to the ceremony...; Reply to this comment

by Lindag20 August 13, 2012 2:19 PM EDT

"I didn't kill him on purpose"....I stabbed him in the chest twice by accident. Most people just call off the wedding instead of killing their fiance.

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by LiAhAtEsFaKePeOpLe August 16, 2012 3:24 PM EDT: EXACTLY . but you know how people are these days . they dont think before they do anything now . but if she was in my family she wouldnt be in jail for 5 years she would be in there for 10 years . thats why i dont harm anybody or anything cuz i know i will get in big trouble . but anyway dont know why she had to kill him instead of just calling the wedding off . thats better than killing somebody that you were deeply in love with .

PEOPLE THESE DAYS

by superdem1 August 13, 2012 1:53 PM EDT

Oh come on, Judge, it was just a little love stab, who doesn't stab their fiance a few times before marriage, just to see if they can take it ?

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by MassCitizen August 21, 2012 5:26 PM EDT: Better to be stabbed in the heart now and die, then to be stabed in the back later and spend the rest of your life paying for your mistake in getting married!

by jt92202 August 13, 2012 1:30 PM EDT

Time to out law knives, I am so tired of them killing people!!

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by northpark2 August 13, 2012 3:43 PM EDT: Wow, you have a ton of mental capacity dont you? Don't bring a knive to a gun fight stoopid. They are not the same.


by jaimieandlis August 13, 2012 5:18 PM EDT: liberals hate it when you make fun of their hatred for guns, lol. We should outlaw ALL dangerous instruments, right? Guns, knives, ax's, hatchets, hammers, forks, spoons..... Can't We All Just Get Along, ROFL.

by ugacrew August 13, 2012 1:29 PM EDT

All of you posters have MISSED it. This is a classic case of a groom informing the bride to be that there was NOT going to be a wedding. Plain and simple. When she realized he was serious, she flew into a rage and acted accordingly, possible storming off only to learn later that the intensity of her rage had caused her to inflict far greater harm that she may have been aware of. Perhaps this may be why most gilters take the safest route, just don't show up for the wedding in the first place.

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by Springtoola August 13, 2012 1:54 PM EDT: Well done for pointing out the obvious Colombo - sadly theories don't qualify as proof.


by sunset_m August 13, 2012 6:20 PM EDT: Not that you're incorrect in your assumptions but I think YOU missed it in the story. I don't see anywhere a reference to motive, assumed or otherwise--only the investigation noted 2 stab wounds to the deceased and the suspect couldn't/wouldn't comprehend the death. This story as it is written seems very straight forward.

by AnnieDanny August 13, 2012 1:26 PM EDT

She totally ruined her life, didn't she. Wow. And she stabbed him hard enough that it nicked his heart: but she didn't mean to kill him? That was a VICIOUS jab! Nothing accidental about it, in my opinion. This is just an unbelievable story.

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by douloscross August 13, 2012 2:21 PM EDT: She totally ruined her life????? What about the groom? Oh, he doesn't matter, he is just some guy. Where are all the anti domestic violence people?


by jaimieandlis August 13, 2012 5:19 PM EDT: the coloreds are held to different standards than the rest of us.


by Kratch August 13, 2012 8:48 PM EDT: "Where are all the anti domestic violence people?"

They're working on a defense and a way to make her into a poor poor victim who has become a hero for her actions that freed her from a man's oppression.

by ReckonedTruth August 13, 2012 12:47 PM EDT

ok she said "I DID NOT kill him on purpose"...

Well.. that's kinda hard to believe...because stabbing someone not once by twice in the heart? What did she expect? Her husband would get up and run a mile afterwards?

I don't hear a defense.. or when I read the accused statement..nothing indicates as a legitimate defense to killing her husband.. all she said was.. "I did not kill him on purpose"..

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by Kratch August 13, 2012 8:46 PM EDT: It's not that hard to believe. The DV industry seems to take great pains in denying women can be abusers and men can be victims. We're so often told about how many women are killed, yet never hear of the men killed. So it's easy to believe it doesn't... that it can't, happen. Even this article fails to acknowledge this is Domestic violence.


by Harland_Sanderz August 13, 2012 12:38 PM EDT: Maybe it can get its bruva RC to bail it out.; Reply to this comment


by randomites August 13, 2012 12:23 PM EDT: It must have been something he said.....
I would say that she needs to go to couple's therapy but since she already eliminated the other half of the couple, I guess that's out.; Reply to this comment