Franklin
The only woman among four suspects charged in a kidnapping, assault and robbery at a local barn has accepted a plea agreement in Bartholomew Superior Court 1.
Emily Franklin, 18, of Commiskey was originally charged with robbery resulting in serious bodily injury as a Level 2 felony; kidnapping with serious bodily injury as a Level 3 felony; criminal confinement resulting in serious bodily injury as a Level 3 felony, and aggravated battery as a Level 3 felony.
If convicted of the original charges, Franklin could have received up to 78 years in prison.
The defendant and her attorney, Mark Dove of North Vernon, accepted a plea agreement Monday that calls for Franklin to plead guilty to a lesser charge of assisting a criminal as a Level 5 felony. In exchange, all four original charges are expected to be dropped.
In the agreement, prosecutors agreed the Jennings County native would not serve more than four years in prison. Should Judge James Worton hand down a longer sentence, the agreement calls for the additional time to be spent on probation.
But Franklin must agree to testify truthfully about co-defendants Charles A. Breedlove, 19, of 2017 14th St.; Ashton Fields, 19, of 762 Clifty Drive-C; and Zablin “Jai” Woodruff, 19, of 238 N. Hughes St.
If Franklin honors those terms and continues to display good behavior, Worton said he would consider dropping the felony charge down to a Level 6 felony. Not only would that lower the sentencing range to between six months and two-and-a-half years, but she could serve that time in the Bartholomew County Jail, rather than in a state prison.
Fields was offered nearly identical terms in the plea bargain he accepted May 6. Franklin briefly lived with Fields before they were arrested.
While a probable cause affidavit states Franklin drove the victim under false pretenses to the barn where the attack took place, the document written by the lead investigator does not accuse Fields nor Franklin of physically taking part in the assault or robbery.
According to investigators, Franklin told the victim she was taking him to get food as she drove to a barn on Bonnell Road the night of June 2, 2023. A probable cause affidavit states the victim was grabbed by the neck before he was punched in the face.
Investigators wrote that Breedlove and Woodruff took turns with a knife attempting to cut the victim before Breedlove brandished a pistol from his waistband and pistol-whipped the victim, court documents state.
Breedlove pointed a pistol at the victim’s head multiple times and said, “I’m going to blow your head off,” “these are your last minutes on Earth” and “this is it,” according to the probable cause affidavit.
The victim told investigators Woodruff held him down while Breedlove cut off his hair and cut the skin covering his throat with a pair of scissors, the affidavit states. He later had a liquid thrown on his face that burned his faces and eyes, the police report states. Woodruff and Breedlove unsuccessfully attempted to break some of the victim’s fingers, investigators wrote.
After taking the victim’s sweatshirt, shoes and iPhone, the defendants left the barn, investigators state. The victim told police he went to four different homes for help before he found help at the residence of Indiana State Police Trooper Rick Roseberry, who called for emergency medical assistance.
Last March, Breedlove was sentenced to 20 years, with at least 10 to be served in prison. Once released, he will spend the next five years in a Community Corrections program, while the remaining time will be served on probation. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the male victim in the amount of $8,587.
A sentencing hearing for Franklin is tentatively set for 2 p.m. on Sept. 4, and for 10 a.m. on Oct. 8 for Fields.
Woodruff, who is facing a fourth felony charge of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury at a Level 2 felony, is the only defendant at this time who has not accepted a plea agreement. After being granted a number of delays, Woodruff is currently scheduled for a change of plea hearing at 10 a.m. on July 29, while a trial date of Aug. 27 has been tentatively set.
No motive for the crimes has been established in court.
