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“Should Get A Medal”: Dad Ends Life Of Daughter’s Ex Who Threatened To Expose Her Intimate Pics
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“Should Get A Medal”: Dad Ends Life Of Daughter’s Ex Who Threatened To Expose Her Intimate Pics

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A Texas father was arrested after fatally shooting a man who allegedly threatened to expose his stepdaughter’s intimate photos.

Jessie Clifford Brown was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison following a jury trial on Friday (November 1).

On May 20, 2015, deputies responded to a crash reported in Liberty City, Gregg County, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) southeast of Dallas. 

When they arrived at the scene, they discovered  24-year-old John Allen Franco in his truck with a gunshot wound to the upper left side of his head.

Image credits: Cottonbro studio / Pexels

Following a two-year investigation, authorities arrested Brown in October 2017.

Witnesses claim they saw Brown and two other men pull up beside Franco before Brown allegedly got out of his vehicle and fatally shot the 24-year-old through the driver’s seat window, as per KLTV.

A witness told the investigator that Brown wanted to assault Franco because Franco had threatened to leak nude photos of his stepdaughter. According to court documents, the woman and Franco had previously been in a relationship.

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Franco was fatally shot at Old Highway 135 and Smallwood Road in Liberty City as his young daughter watched, Longview News-Journal reported in 2015.

Image credits: KLTV 7

“Man, you gotta have a heart,” Cody Grace, a friend of Franco, said 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.”

Brown appeared on October 29 in Judge Alfonso Charles’ courtroom, where he pleaded not guilty.

While the state referred to the case as homicide, the defense asked the jury to “reserve judgment until the end of the case.” 

The defense questioned the witnesses, and the state called a DPS trooper to the stand, who showed the intersection in Gregg County where the shooting took place. 

Witnesses claim they saw Jessie Clifford Brown pull up beside John Allen Franco’s truck before shooting him

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Image credits: KLTV 7

Image credits: KLTV 7

On October 30, Brown’s father-in-law took the stand for the state. The man said Brown called him after the shooting and confessed to the action, saying it “got out of hand.”

The following day, Brown took the stand for questioning and denied having killed Franco. The 42-year-old could not recall where he was the day of the shooting and said he would never hurt anyone.

When asked if the person who killed Franco should be accused of murder, he responded affirmatively.

After three hours of deliberation, a jury found Brown guilty of murder on Friday. In addition to serving 40 years in prison, Brown has to pay $10,000 for the murder of Franco.

Brown was sentenced almost ten years after the crime was committed

Image credits: KLTV 7

On social media, people voiced their opinions about the trial and Brown’s actions, with many siding with the shooter. “What happened to justifiable homicide defense? He should get a medal, not a jail cell,” one Facebook user wrote.

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“I wouldn’t convict him,” agreed a second user.

Another user, believing the sentence to be excessive, commented, “He was 42. How old was his stepdaughter? What about her rights or justice when someone threatened her with private images? Give this guy some probation and tell him not to do it again.”

Others expressed frustration at the investigators’ slow response in finding the shooter. “Why did it take almost 10 years?” one user asked. Another questioned the motive behind Brown’s actions, commenting, “The pics are probably already out there. This isn’t worth a life.”

The victim, 24-year-old John Allen Franco, was previously in a relationship with Brown’s stepdaughter

Image credits: Freepik

Image credits: RDNE Stock project / Pexels

Last month, an Arkansas father named Aaron Spencer was arrested for fatally shooting 67-year-old Michael Fosler after finding him in a car with his missing 14-year-old daughter.

According to Spencer’s wife, Heather, the teenager had previously been groomed and assaulted by Fosler.

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Heather stated that the “monster who hurt [their] child” was “quickly” charged earlier this year for abusing her, but was released “even faster on a $50K bond.”

In addition to serving 40 years in prison, Brown has to pay $10,000 for the crime

Image credits: gregg county judicial records

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The teenage girl went missing on October 8. “Aaron was able to retrieve our child alive, but in the process, he was attacked and did what he had to do to protect himself and our minor child. He is now facing an outrageous murder 1 charge,” Heather shared. Ultimately, Spencer was released from the Lonoke County Detention Center after posting bail.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of Bored Panda.

A Facebook user referred to the crime as “vigilante justice”

Image credits: www.facebook.com

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Image credits: www.facebook.com

Image credits: www.facebook.com

Image credits: www.facebook.com

Image credits: www.facebook.com

Image credits: www.facebook.com

Image credits: www.facebook.com

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Image credits: www.facebook.com

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Marina Urman

Marina Urman

Writer, BoredPanda staff

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Marina is a journalist at Bored Panda. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she holds a Bachelor of Social Science. In her spare time, you can find her baking, reading, or watching a docuseries. Her main areas of interest are pop culture, literature, and education.

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Marina Urman

Marina Urman

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Marina is a journalist at Bored Panda. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she holds a Bachelor of Social Science. In her spare time, you can find her baking, reading, or watching a docuseries. Her main areas of interest are pop culture, literature, and education.

Renan Duarte

Renan Duarte

Author, BoredPanda staff

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This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself.

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Renan Duarte

Renan Duarte

Author, BoredPanda staff

This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself.

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Bryn
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Two wrongs don't make it right. You can't take someone's life. What the ex-boyfriend was doing and did do was wrong but that doesn't mean he has to die.

Upstaged75
Community Member
2 weeks ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You said it perfectly. That's what I came down here to post. Even if you sympathize with the father you shouldn't condone murder.

Load More Replies...
Zander Porbanda
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a sad story about extortion and murder. It doesn’t make me feel bored or panda. If the subject of the story can’t be in the headline without a creative workaround it probably doesn’t belong on the panda.

Load More Comments
Bryn
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Two wrongs don't make it right. You can't take someone's life. What the ex-boyfriend was doing and did do was wrong but that doesn't mean he has to die.

Upstaged75
Community Member
2 weeks ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You said it perfectly. That's what I came down here to post. Even if you sympathize with the father you shouldn't condone murder.

Load More Replies...
Zander Porbanda
Community Member
2 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a sad story about extortion and murder. It doesn’t make me feel bored or panda. If the subject of the story can’t be in the headline without a creative workaround it probably doesn’t belong on the panda.

Load More Comments
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