Liberty City, Texas, Nov. 3, 2024 – Jessie Clifford Brown, 42, of Kilgore, Texas, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison following his conviction for the 2015 murder of John Allen Franco, his stepdaughter’s ex-boyfriend.
Brown reportedly pursued Franco after the 24-year-old allegedly threatened to release a compromising photograph of Brown’s stepdaughter, sparking a violent confrontation that resulted in Franco’s death.
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According to the Gregg County District Court, Brown was convicted Friday after an intensive investigation and trial that uncovered the events leading up to and following Franco’s death.
Witness statements and forensic evidence pieced together a tragic story in which Franco, found dead in his vehicle with a gunshot wound to the head, had been targeted by Brown and two unidentified accomplices.
The Incident
The fatal shooting took place on May 20, 2015. Around 10 p.m., Gregg County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call in Liberty City, where Franco’s truck had been discovered in a ravine off Old Highway 135 and Smallwood Road.
Initially, responders suspected a single-vehicle accident; however, upon closer examination, they found a bullet wound in Franco’s head and broken glass on his face and head, indicative of a gunshot shattering his vehicle’s driver’s side window.
Inside the vehicle with Franco were two others—a woman and his then-2-year-old daughter.
Neither were injured in the incident.
The woman later informed police that a blue truck had trailed them, driven ahead, and then parked on the side of the road with its lights off before Franco’s car approached.
As she recounted to investigators, three men exited the blue truck and approached Franco’s vehicle, prompting Franco to try to escape.
He put his truck into reverse just before one of the men, later identified as Brown, ran towards Franco’s vehicle with a gun.
At the moment the gunshot was fired, Franco’s vehicle, still in reverse, rolled down into the ravine where he was later found dead.
Investigative Challenges and Breakthrough
Initial investigations into Franco’s death yielded minimal leads, with few witnesses able to identify the suspects.
The woman who was with Franco described the three men simply as “country looking,” giving little else for authorities to act on.
Investigators pursued several leads and followed up on community tips, but by 2017, the case was cold.
Two years after the incident, in August 2017, a witness anonymously contacted police, naming Brown and two other men as suspects in the shooting.
With this information, Gregg County Sheriff’s Office investigators intensified efforts to locate the men involved and to corroborate the witness’s claims.
Motive and Preparation
In interviews with one of Brown’s alleged accomplices, investigators learned that Brown was motivated by his anger toward Franco, who, according to police statements, had dated Brown’s stepdaughter and allegedly threatened to disseminate explicit photos of her.
Gregg County First Assistant District Attorney Stacey Brownlee explained that Franco’s text, containing a nude image, had been interpreted by Brown as a threat.
The accomplice described how Brown enlisted him and another man to drive around looking for Franco that evening.
Brown’s intention, as the witness claimed, was to confront Franco and retrieve his cell phone, which allegedly held the compromising photos.
The trio drove to Franco’s presumed residence, ultimately discovering that Franco was not home.
They were redirected by a neighbor who confirmed Franco’s address nearby.
As the night continued, the group drove around Liberty City, eventually spotting Franco’s truck and deciding to tail him.
The witness said that they even briefly lost sight of Franco’s vehicle behind a local store before reengaging in pursuit along Old Highway 135.
The Fatal Confrontation
The confrontation reached a climax at the intersection of Old Highway 135 and Smallwood Road.
As recounted by Brown’s accomplice, Brown exited the truck and approached Franco’s vehicle with a firearm, smashing the driver’s side window.
The witness described hearing a “loud boom” as Brown allegedly fired the shot that killed Franco.
After the shooting, Brown and his companions fled the scene, but the events of the night weighed heavily on one of the accomplices.
Though he avoided contact with Brown and the third accomplice after the incident, the accomplice’s 2017 confession to police became a turning point in solving Franco’s murder.
Investigators followed up with forensic phone data, witness statements, and additional interviews to build a case, ultimately leading to Brown’s arrest on October 18, 2018.
Arrest and Sentencing
Following his arrest, Brown awaited trial as prosecutors worked to establish a clear narrative of the events that unfolded.
Assistant District Attorney Brownlee, representing the state, emphasized the importance of the anonymous witness and the corroborating statements from Brown’s former associates.
Brownlee credited the investigation’s progress to “citizens that are willing to step forward regardless of the cost.”
After years of legal proceedings, Brown was found guilty of murder, with prosecutors presenting a compelling argument that he had methodically pursued Franco with the intent to cause harm.
“Justice was delivered, thanks to the diligence of the investigators and the bravery of witnesses who spoke out,” said Brownlee following the sentencing.
“This tragic case is a reminder of the grave consequences that can follow misguided attempts to handle personal grievances through violence.”
Brown’s two alleged accomplices have not been charged as of the latest court records.
Their names were disclosed in the warrant, but their exact roles remain under investigation.
Local authorities have not specified whether additional arrests are pending or if further charges will be brought against them.
Franco’s family, who attended the sentencing, declined to comment but expressed relief at the conclusion of the long-standing case.
Continuing Legal Proceedings
Brown’s legal team has not yet indicated whether they plan to appeal the sentence, though they argued during trial that the allegations against Brown lacked sufficient direct evidence and relied heavily on witness testimony obtained years after the event.
The defense’s stance did not persuade jurors, who found the cumulative evidence presented by prosecutors sufficient to convict.
Brown’s sentencing brings some measure of closure to the 2015 murder case, with Gregg County officials and the Liberty City community hoping the verdict will deter similar acts of violence in the future.
