A Tragic End in Park Forest: Man Held in Double Killing

A man, who was living with two women in Park Forest and dating one of them, has been arrested and charged with their murders. The women, Lillian Brown, 51, and Sabrina McCain, 30, were found shot in their home on December 26. Police were called to the scene around 6 pm and found both women dead. Brown died at the scene, and McCain was rushed to St. James Hospital but did not survive. The police also discovered McCain’s two children, aged 2 and 9, who were uninjured. Court records show that the man, Coleman Franklin, 50, had recently been complaining about his living situation to his aunt. He felt that McCain was trying to drive him away and was unhappy about her asking him to pay rent. The day of the incident, Franklin called his aunt from the Harvey Metra station, claiming McCain’s 9-year-old son would lie about him killing the women. His aunt, who was on the phone with him, alerted the police, leading to Franklin’s arrest by Harvey police and later transfer to the Park Forest Police Department. Prosecutors stated that Franklin had previously pulled a gun on Brown. McCain had to intervene, and she had told a friend she felt unsafe in the house with Franklin. McCain’s 9-year-old son witnessed the shooting from his room and called 911, identifying Franklin as the shooter. He reported seeing Franklin reload his gun and flee through the back door. At the Harvey train station, Franklin tried to blame Brown’s husband for the murders. However, the husband denied any contact with Brown and stated he was home all day with another person, who was also interviewed by the police. Franklin is set to appear in court again on January 24. The judge has ruled that he presents a danger to the community and ordered his detention.