Man charged in Park Forest double homicide detained as prosecutors share details
Jan 02, 2025
The man charged in a Park Forest double homicide was living with the two victims and in a dating relationship with the older woman, court records show.
Coleman Franklin, 50, was arrested Tuesday and ordered detained Thursday by Cook County Judge Luciano Panici, who found Franklin presents a clear and present danger to the community. He is due back in court Jan. 24.
Park Forest police responding at about 6 p.m. Dec. 26 found Lillian Brown, 51, and Sabrina McCain, 30, with gunshot wounds at their home on the 300 block of Miami Street. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene and McCain was pronounced death a St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields.
At the home, police also found McCain’s 2-year-old and 9-year-old children, who were unharmed, according to court records.
The day before, Franklin complained to his aunt about his living situation and relationship with the two women, prosecutors said. He reported McCain wanted him to start paying rent, which he believed was unfair, and had said previously that he believed McCain was trying to break up his relationship with Brown, according to prosecutors.
Franklin called his aunt, who is unnamed in court records, on Tuesday from the Harvey Metra station and denied killing the women, claiming McCain’s 9-year-old son was going to lie to police and say he had, according to prosecutors. They said Franklin’s aunt drove to the train station while on the phone with Franklin and called the police. Franklin was arrested by Harvey police and transferred to the Park Forest Police Department.
An unnamed friend to the victims told police that McCain told her Dec. 16 Franklin pulled a gun on Brown and that she had to get between the two, prosecutors said. McCain also said she, Brown and the children were not safe in the house with Frankin, and if he did anything like that again she was going to call the police, they said.
Prosecutors identify McCain’s 9-year-old son as a witness to the double homicide, saying he was playing video games in his room when he heard gun shots. When he came out of his room, he allegedly saw Franklin standing over McCain, who was on the ground with a gun shot wound in her head, they said.
The boy then called 911, telling operators “the only one I saw with a weapon was Cole — I didn’t see nobody else,” prosecutors said. The child also called out Franklin for reloading his gun, as recorded on the 911 call, and told officers that Franklin ran out the residence’s back door before officers arrived, prosecutors said.
McCain’s body was found in the living room and Brown’s body in the bedroom, shot close range in the face and neck, prosecutors said.
At the Harvey train station, Franklin told his aunt that Brown was still married and said her husband shot the two women, prosecutors said. Prosecutors say the man, in a police interview, denied having contact with Brown in more than six months or having gone to the Park Forest home, and said he was home all day with another person, who was also interviewed.
[email protected]