Dad killed man threatening to send daughter’s nude photos, TX cops say. He’s sentenced

A father shot and killed a man who had allegedly threatened to expose his stepdaughter’s nude photos, according to Texas police and news reports.

Now, the 42-year-old father, Jessie Clifford Brown, is going to prison for decades, court records show.

The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office said 24-year-old John Allen Franco was found dead in a vehicle on May 20, 2015, in Liberty City.

While deputies were initially dispatched for a report of a crash, they discovered Franco had been shot in the head, according to the sheriff.

The two-year investigation led authorities to Brown, who was arrested in October 2017, according to the Longview News-Journal.

“A witness claimed Brown and two other men had pulled up next to them, when Brown allegedly got out and shot Franco through the driver’s side window,” KLTV reported.

Brown shot Franco because Franco threatened to share nude photos of his ex-girlfriend, Brown’s stepdaughter, KYTX reported, citing a warrant.

“Man, you gotta have a heart,” Cody Grace, a friend of Franco, told the News-Journal before Brown’s arrest. “Not (just) one guy was affected by this, you know. His daughters, his two daughters have been affected by it, his mother, his aunt, and all his cousins.”

Following a jury trial, Brown was found guilty Nov. 1 of murder, according to court records. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Liberty City is about a 115-mile drive southeast from Dallas.

This story was originally published November 4, 2024 at 8:32 AM with the headline "Dad killed man threatening to send daughter’s nude photos, TX cops say. He’s sentenced."