BRYAN, Texas — Frankie Bell Jr. was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Thurs, Sept. 29 for his involvement in a double homicide case on Oct. 3, 2017, according to a press release from the Brazos County District Attorney.
On Oct. 3, 2017, Bell, along with multiple other men, appeared at a home in Frankfort St. in Bryan demanding money and narcotics, according to authorities. Bell had reportedly been released from a 12-year prison sentence just a few months earlier for a shooting in 2005, when he was 18 years old.
According to a press release from the Brazos County DA, Tarrant Franklin and Dominique Franklin were home and were forced to let the men in at gunpoint. The two, alongside another male and female, were forced to lay on the floor, helpless to their assailants, who robbed the residence, according to authorities.
After the home had been burglarized, Bell shot Tarrant and Dominique Franklin and David Jenkins, with Jenkins being the only of the three to survive, according to a press release from the Brazos County DA. Jenkins was later saved by a Bryan Police Officer's combat medical skills.
However, Bell had fled the scene with the help of a family member, and was given a ride away from the scene of the crime, according to authorities. During the ride, Bell reportedly admitted that he had killed Tarrant and Dominique Franklin because his mask began to fall off.
According to the Brazos County DA, Police eventually gathered evidence about Bell's cell phone location, and were eventually able to make Bell a suspect in the case after an anonymous tip. Police reportedly gathered information cell phone location and determined that Bell had fled the area and was headed to Houston.
After a warrant was issued and a search was initiated for Bell in Houston, authorities tracked Bell down for over two months, according to the Brazos County DA. He was eventually captured with the aid of the United States Marshals Service, according to authorities.
In a press release about the matter, Assistant District Attorneys Brian Baker and Brian Price said "Frankie Bell left death and destruction in his wake on October 3, 2017. He destroyed a family and robbed this community of the felling of safety when he executed two men in cold blood. Life in Prison without Parole is justice in this case."
The full press release from the Brazos County District Attorney can be found below.