A KC-area teen was murdered in 2021. Her killer hasn’t been caught. Why? | Opinion
She was just 16 when she was fatally shot inside her family’s Independence home. More than four years after Mariah Franklin was gunned down in her own bedroom, the suspect charged in her death remains at large and whereabouts unknown.
Authorities know who the person is, according to Scott Lauck, a public information officer for Jackson County Circuit Court. But as of last week, the suspect wasn’t in custody
Because the alleged shooter was a juvenile at the time of the shooting and has not undergone the certification process to be tried as an adult, their identity could not be released. Neither could further details about the investigation be given, Lauck said, including whether police know the suspect’s whereabouts.
According to Mariah’s family, a status hearing on the case was scheduled this week in family court, but I could not confirm that with Lauck before this column was filed.
Lauck did say that in February 2023, more than 1 1/2 years after Mariah was killed, the suspect was charged in the juvenile division with one count each of second-degree murder and armed criminal action.
Although there is an outstanding warrant for the suspect’s arrest in family court, this person was not in custody as of last week.
Where is the suspect?
Until authorities tell us more, it’s fair to question whether someone is hiding them or if they have evaded police on their own. If this person has surrendered, that should be known as well.
Mariah’s family knows the alleged shooter very well, according to Mariah’s aunt, Rosemary Wiggins of Kansas City. In fact, Wiggins said, the family pointed out the prime suspect to investigators with the Independence Police Department in the immediate aftermath of Mariah’s death.
“It just doesn’t make sense,” Wiggins said of the time that has lapsed between Mariah’s death and her alleged killer’s arrest.
Family members were aware of the suspect’s arrest warrant, Wiggins said. However, she added that she wished police investigators in Independence would not have waited years to present their case to the court.
When asked about the family’s concerns expressed here, an Independence Police Department official referred questions to the Jackson County Circuit Court Family Court division.
An absent birthday
The family recently gathered to commemorate Mariah’s 21st birthday. According to Wiggins, the family was grateful that progress has been made in the case but still feel as if the wheels of justice were spinning way too slow. Independence Police still need more information and tips about the case, she said.
“There was no one out there who would want to hurt her,” Wiggins said of the connection between Mariah and her alleged killer.
Her plea to the community: “We know somebody out there knows something. We hope somebody is willing to say something.”
It is my hope that Mariah’s killer will be arrested and off the streets soon — but four years is an awfully long time for Mariah’s family to grieve without justice being fully served.
Late last month, I spoke with Mariah’s mother Angelina Verrelli-Franklin in a series of direct messages shared on social media. Verrelli-Franklin told me that Mariah’s birthday was Nov. 22 and that they planned to gather at her burial site at Blue Ridge Cemetery in Kansas City for a balloon release. They were at the cemetery to celebrate what would have been a milestone birthday for Mariah, Verrelli-Franklin said.
She added she preferred to exchange messages with me because she gets “real emotional talking about Mariah still,” she wrote.
As the parent of a child who was also murdered at 16, I understand better than most the grieving process associated with the death of a child. My son, Toriano Porter II, was fatally shot in 2009 in north St. Louis. More than 16 years later, his case remains unsolved. While I remain hopeful the perpetrator will some day be brought to justice, Mariah’s family is so very close to gaining some semblance of it.
Sometimes it’s easy to lose hope in the criminal justice system but from what I can tell, Mariah’s family has continued to highlight her case — and that should be commended.
When Verrelli-Franklin said she still struggles talking about her daughter, I could relate more than I’d like to admit.
Mariah was murdered in her bedroom in the family’s home, according to Verrelli-Franklin. From the very beginning, the family suspected someone close to Mariah killed her, Verrelli-Franklin said.
Because this case is an open investigation, not much is known publicly about the circumstances behind the shooting nor has the suspect’s ID been released. As a result, I have refrained from referring to the exact relationship between Mariah and the person charged with killing her.
A living hell for the family
In a GoFundMe campaign set up after Mariah’s death, she was described as a hardworking and dedicated teen who would light up every room she entered. Mariah was full of love and compassion for friends and strangers alike, Verrelli-Franklin said.
“Mariah was a sweet, amazing, kind, helpful, beautiful, caring child who did not deserve to be murdered, and she definitely doesn’t deserve for her case to be just swept under the rug,” she said.
The last four years have been a living hell for Mariah’s family, Verrelli-Franklin said. When we first spoke she expressed disappointment in how Mariah’s case was handled.
“IPD has told our family several times that it’s a hard case for them unless we get a confession or someone to snitch,” she said. Unless witnesses come forward, “we are out of luck on getting any justice,” Verrelli-Franklin said.
According to Verrelli-Franklin, the family’s WiFi signal showed Mariah’s acquaintance was logged in the day she died. In addition, Verrelli-Franklin said a neighbor saw the same person in some bushes between the two homes, and a family member was on the phone with Mariah when that person was outside Mariah’s window.
On social media, there were photos showing the same person holding a .45 caliber gun, which Verrelli-Franklin said could tie that person to the crime.
“The shell casing found in Mariah’s room was from a .45 caliber,” she wrote.
There were also documented threats from the same person to Mariah, her mother said.
So why did almost two years pass by before anyone was charged?
“We keep being told that there is not enough evidence, but I have sat through trials where the same evidence has been used to secure convictions,” Verrelli-Franklin said.
The day of the shooting
On the afternoon of June 23, 2021, Mariah and Verrelli-Franklin were leaving their home in the 2300 block of South Crescent Avenue in Independence for a day of shopping.
Before they left, Mariah went back inside to retrieve more money, Verrelli-Franklin said. Once inside, Mariah was shot. At the time she was killed, Mariah had cash in her purse but when the purse was recovered by police, there was no money in it, Verrelli-Franklin contends.
Mariah worked at a local Home Depot and was saving money to buy a car, her mother said. She saved the earnings from that job in a shoebox she had in her closet.
“When we found Mariah, the shoebox with the money she had been saving was lying wide open and coins were all over her bedroom floor but none of the dollar bills were found,” she said.
The person who killed Mariah “not only robbed my child, but took her life away from a family that loves her so much,” Verrelli-Franklin said.
Although Independence police referred questions from me to the family court division, officials released a statement shortly after Mariah’s death. The information given then on the police department’s Facebook page did not reveal much about a suspect or motive.
“Shortly after 2 p.m. today (6/23/21), IPD officers were called to a residence in the 2300 block of S. Crescent Ave. on a nature unknown call for service,” the statement read. “A teenage female was located inside, deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. This case is being investigated as a homicide. Additional information will be released when it becomes available.”
In the years since, Mariah’s family has had to deal with their loss on a daily basis.
“So much time has passed now that vital evidence has been lost,” Verrelli-Franklin, Mariah’s mother, said.
Wiggins, Mariah’s aunt, said: “It just hurts. How could that happen to somebody just so nice?”
Anyone with information about the 2021 shooting death of 16-year-old Mariah Franklin or the whereabouts of her alleged killer should call the Tips Hotline at (816) 474-8477, IPD Tips at (816) 325-7777 or email leads@indepmo.org
