An Indiana man has confessed to killing his 6-year-old son after initially telling police the boy had become unresponsive because he “hit himself,” according to prosecutors.
On Oct. 9, Franklin Elmore Jr., 29, of Elkhart, pleaded guilty to the August murder of his son, Justin, court records show. His wife and the boy’s stepmother, Cheyenne Elmore, 27, was also charged with murder. She has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Elmore entered a plea agreement shortly before his trial was set to begin. During the hearing, his attorney asked, “Did you knowingly kill another human being, Victim 1?” WNDU reports. Elmore responded, “Yes, sir.” When asked if he acknowledged physically beating his son, he said, “I did not mean it.” He also admitted that his form of discipline was not consistent with normal parenting, the outlet reported.
Emergency responders were called to the family’s home on Aug. 3 after reports of an unresponsive child. A 911 caller claimed the boy had “hit himself,” according to the Elkhart County prosecutor. However, medical personnel at Elkhart General Hospital determined that some of the injuries—including a traumatic brain injury and a punctured lung—were not self-inflicted.
Investigators later learned that Cheyenne had previously complained to her husband about her stepson’s behavior. The couple allegedly punished the child by forcing him to perform lengthy physical exercises and by “whooping” him with a belt or hand, prosecutors said.
After Justin’s death, investigators documented numerous bruises and abrasions across his body. The inquiry revealed that, just before the boy died, his father had “attacked the child in his ‘playroom,’” according to the prosecutor’s statement.
Elmore is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 25. Attorneys for both defendants did not respond to requests for comment.
