TRUE-LIFE
How did a vulnerable teen end up starving to death?
YOU’RE THE JUDGE!
Whenever Karreon Franks, 15, arrived at school, he had one thing on his mind. ‘Eat, eat, eat,’ he said. His first words to teachers most days.
Karreon suffered developmental delays due to a rare genetic disorder.
It left him autistic and almost non-verbal.
He was also legally blind, used a cane, and suffered with digestive issues that saw him regurgitate his food sometimes.
But despite the tough hand he’d been dealt, he was an active lad.
Enjoyed riding a tricycle and throwing a basketball around in PE.
Teachers loved his vibrant spirit, and always made sure the hungry lad was tucking into a full breakfast before classes began.
Karreon and his two younger brothers were being brought up by their maternal aunt, Felicia Adams.
After fostering the boys, she adopted them in June 2012.
They lived with Felicia and her husband, Jesse Franks, in Vancouver, Washington.
The boys took his surname, although he didn’t formally adopt them.
Felicia worried about the school using food as a reward for Karreon.
She wanted his access to snacks restricted.
But it caused tension between Felicia and Karreon’s teachers. Then COVID hit. Suddenly, Karreon’s teachers weren’t a problem for Felicia any more.
The school switched to virtual learning, and the nutritious breakfasts he craved stopped.
Karreon only sporadically attended online classes.
Then, on 27 November 2020, Felicia drove an unconscious Karreon to a medical centre.
He was pronounced dead 14 minutes after arriving.
Seeing the teen’s emaciated body, doctors raised the alarm.
He weighed just 4st 5lb.
Concerned calls
His brothers were put into protective custody and as police investigated, a disturbing picture emerged.
In April and October 2017, someone had anonymously contacted authorities.
Raised concerns that Felicia withheld food from the children.
Both times caseworkers closed the case.
Another call was made by a concerned family member on 20 November 2020.
The caller said the children were emaciated, with Karreon looking like a ‘skeleton sitting in a chair’.
A social worker visited and gave Felicia advice on proper parental discipline.
But a week later, Karreon was dead.
A medical examiner ruled Karreon died of starvation and neglect.
His loving family couldn’t have done this…could they? The pair were arrested, and in October 2023, Felicia Adams, then 54, and Jesse Franks, 58, went on trial both charged with seconddegree murder and homicide by abuse.
They pleaded not guilty. The p
