FRANKLIN, Va. (WAVY) — Carolyn Williams is proud of the ranch-style home she owns on Dorchester Street in Franklin. The 69-year old certified nurse assistant has lived there since 1977 and it’s the place where she reared two sons, but her sense of security there was shattered during the early morning hours of Sept. 28.
“I cannot answer what happened,” Williams said in an interview from her driveway. “I was in my house and I heard a bang, but I really didn’t know what it was.”
Shots rang out in the nearby Dorchester Square Apartments, and minutes later, a red sedan with 37- year old Davon Davis of Suffolk behind the wheel careened into two homes and came to a stop on Williams’s front porch. She and her neighbor have tire tracks in the front yard, the neighbor’s ramp for the handicapped was damaged and Williams’ front porch, made of wood, was damaged beyond repair.
“I saw a lot of people out in the yard, and I immediately called the police,” Williams said.
Police and other first responders arrived on the scene, where Davis was pronounced dead. Police chief Steve Peterson told 10 on Your Side that Davis was known to authorities in Franklin.
Franklin is proud of the recovery from the 1999 flood, but there’s a population that remains inundated with the side effects of poverty. Peterson’s officers uncovered another disturbing case days after Davis was killed.
“We suffer just like everyone else is,” Peterson said. “I can tell you, just last week, we [had] a couple of my officers who over the summer were addressing car break-ins and motor vehicle thefts, unfortunately. … I believe five juveniles had stolen guns … and they were out past curfew. So we have the same issues like some of the bigger cities here.”
And like the bigger cities, Franklin has a police officer shortage and a list of murder cases that remain unsolved.
In the lobby of police headquarters, framed photographs of murder victims are attached to a wall; each photo includes a description of the last moments of their young lives. Patterson has memorized many of the details.
“This is a case of a Mr. Del Monte ‘Popcorn’ Boone,” Peterson said. This occurred on Oak Street on November 8, 2020. It’s still an unsolved homicide we’re looking into. There was a party occurring, and gunshots rang out. Mr. Booth was, unfortunately, a victim of that crime.
“Here we have Ronnie, Lucy Everett. He was found on Nov. 1, 2022. We believe he was last seen alive on Oct. 27, 2022. He was found off of the area Campbell Avenue and Gardner [Street]. And we’re still actively seeking leads and help with trying to solve. I know his family is just as upset as everybody is.
“2021, Dori Brown — unfortunately, this occurred in Dorchester as well, happened on July 2021,” Peterson said. “We’d had a night of violence in the city. This was the third shooting that night we had responded to. Mr. Brown lost his life in Dorchester Apartments — still unsolved. Once again, the family is upset. The family would like closure. We want closure. We want to bring these cases to justice.”
On Dorchester Street, an adjuster with measuring equipment was on the scene to help Williams begin the process of repairing the damage. Williams is having a tough time processing the fact that the place she has called home for 47 years is now part of a murder scene.
“I’m just in a state of shock,” Williams said, “but I’m able to survive because I pray and I trust God all the way,” Willaims said.