A man convicted of fatally beating his six-year-old son resorted to deceit in an attempt to conceal his heinous actions. Franklin Elmore Jr., 29, has been sentenced to 65 years in prison for the murder of his vulnerable child. Despite his plea for leniency during sentencing, the judge remained unmoved, directly stating, “You literally beat your son to death.”
Initially, Elmore tried to fabricate a story suggesting that his son, Justin Elmore, had caused his own fatal injuries. However, his falsehoods quickly crumbled. Both he and his wife, Cheyenne Elmore, 27, faced murder charges. Cheyenne, Justin’s stepmother, initially pleaded not guilty but later changed her plea to guilty on November 6. She is set to be sentenced on January 13.
On the night of August 3, 2025, the Elmores, residing in Louisiana, US, contacted 911 reporting Justin as “unresponsive.” The child was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries, including a traumatic brain bleed and a punctured lung.
Elmore callously insisted that Justin had harmed himself and had behavioral issues, as per reports. However, medical professionals refuted his claims, stating that the injuries were not self-inflicted. Tragically, Justin passed away in the hospital, leading to the arrest of the Elmores on August 8 on murder charges.
The horrifying details of Justin’s suffering emerged as neighbors of the Elmores revealed witnessing extreme punishments inflicted on the little boy, including strenuous exercises like jumping rope, weight-holding, and running.
Prosecutors disclosed that on the day Justin was admitted to the hospital, he had been coerced by his father and stepmother to run 3.5 miles for about 90 minutes before being fatally beaten in his playroom.
Just before his trial was set to commence, Elmore reached a plea deal with prosecutors. During the plea hearing, Elmore admitted to knowingly causing the death of another human being and acknowledged physically harming his son, expressing remorse for his actions. He conceded that his disciplinary methods were far from typical parenting practices.
Justin’s biological mother, Miranda McBride, shared her attempts to alert Indiana authorities about her son’s mistreatment while residing in another state. Despite her efforts, authorities claimed they found no evidence of abuse until photos on the Elmores’ phones revealed Justin’s injuries.
McBride expressed satisfaction with the sentencing outcome, stating that while she wished for a harsher punishment, she believed that Elmore’s lengthy incarceration was a form of justice. Elmore received a total sentence of 55 years, plus an additional 10 years for aggravated offenses, while his wife’s sentencing is pending for this month.
