Elkhart, IN – A 29-year-old Indiana father, Franklin Elmore Jr., has pleaded guilty to murdering his 6-year-old son, Justin Elmore, after previously claiming the child had “hit himself” and caused his own fatal injuries. Prosecutors say the father’s story unraveled when doctors confirmed the boy suffered a traumatic brain injury and punctured lung that were impossible to self-inflict.
The Incident: Child Found Unresponsive in His Playroom
On the night of August 3, 2024, police responded to a 911 call from the Elmore residence after Franklin and his wife, Cheyenne Elmore, reported that Justin had become unresponsive. The couple told dispatchers that the boy “had behavioral problems” and would sometimes “hit himself,” claiming this was how he sustained his injuries.
However, when paramedics arrived, they found the child unconscious and severely beaten. Medical staff later documented extensive trauma, including a brain injury, a punctured lung, and multiple bruises, none of which were consistent with the parents’ explanation.
“These injuries could not have been self-inflicted,” the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed in a statement following the father’s arrest…