Current:Home > InvestAdoptive parents sentenced in starving death of Washington teen -Core Financial Strategies
Adoptive parents sentenced in starving death of Washington teen
View
Date:2025-04-14 04:21:29
VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — The adoptive parents convicted in the starving death of a 15-year-old boy in Washington state have been sentenced to decades in prison.
Judge Suzan Clark last week sentenced Felicia L. Adams to 35 years in prison and Jesse C. Franks to 30 years in the 2020 death of Karreon Franks. The couple also had been convicted on charges of criminal mistreatment of Karreon’s brothers, The Columbian newspaper reported.
Attorneys for Adams and Franks said they planned to appeal the convictions and sentences.
Clark called what happened to Karreon “one of the saddest things I have seen in 37 years.” She said she had never before returned to her chambers after a trial and “had all of the jurors in tears because of what they had been through.” An alternate juror complained of being unable to sleep.
Adams, 54, and Franks, 58, were convicted by a jury in Clark County Superior Court in October.
Karreon was autistic, had developmental delays, was legally blind and used a cane. Prosecutor Laurel Smith called him “an extremely vulnerable child.”
Prosecutors said at trial that he and his brothers were accustomed to food restrictions and corporal punishment at their home in Vancouver. Karreon lost 47% of his body weight between July 2019 and his death on Nov. 27, 2020, dropping from 115 pounds to 61 pounds, prosecutors said. For much of that time, he was isolated at home due to the pandemic.
Adams, the boys’ maternal aunt, said the defense didn’t get an opportunity to put on certain evidence for the court. Franks blamed his lack of education and job training for not taking an active role in the household.
veryGood! (2831)
Related
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- Shania Twain to Host the 2024 People's Choice Country Awards
- What’s the value of planting trees? Conservation groups say a new formula can tell them.
- On NYC beaches, angry birds are fighting drones on patrol for sharks and swimmers
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- A federal judge has ruled that Dodge City’s elections don’t discriminate against Latinos
- Bill Belichick hired as analyst for 'Inside the NFL'
- Remains of U.S. airman whose bomber was shot down in World War II identified 81 years later
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Prince Harry honored with Pat Tillman Award for Service at The ESPYS
Ranking
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- Amazon Prime Day presents opportunities for shoppers, and scammers too
- A federal judge has ruled that Dodge City’s elections don’t discriminate against Latinos
- Ex-MLB player Sean Burroughs died of fentanyl overdose, medical examiner finds
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Backers of ballot initiative to preserve right to abortions in Montana sue over signature rules
- An Ohio mom was killed while trying to stop the theft of a car that had her 6-year-old son inside
- Benji Gregory, former child star on the 80s sitcom ‘ALF,’ dies at 46
Recommendation
Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword, Right Over There (Freestyle)
Hurricane Beryl Was a Warning Shot for Houston
65 kangaroos found dead in Australia, triggering criminal investigation: The worst thing I've seen
Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Have Royally Cute Date Night at 2024 ESPYS
North Carolina governor commutes 4 sentences, pardons 4 others
US would keep more hydropower under agreement with Canada on treaty governing Columbia River