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RICHMOND — A judge on Friday sentenced a 51-year-old San Pablo man to life in prison for gunning down his ex-girlfriend in front of her children more than eight years ago, prosecutors said.
Earlier this year, a jury convicted Lawyer McBride of murdering 29-year-old Rashanda Franklin on April 4, 2017, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.
On the day of the fatal shooting, McBride waited for Franklin in a church parking lot where she dropped off her children for school. Prosecutors said McBride had been following and harassing Franklin for weeks after she broke off their two-year relationship.
Franklin called 911 and drove away with her sons, then ages 9 and 5, still in the car.
McBride followed Franklin in his car. As they neared the intersection of Rheem Avenue and 29th Street in Richmond, McBride swerved in front of Franklin and got out to confront her.
A recording of Franklin’s 911 call captured her desperate plea: “I’ve got my kids in the car.” McBride replied, “I ain’t playing with you,” and then shot and killed her.
The horrified screams of Franklin’s children were also caught on the 911 recording.
McBride was arrested a short time later, but it took eight years for the trial to get underway.
In addition to murder, McBride was sentenced for the related offenses of firing into an occupied vehicle, stalking and using a firearm to cause death, according to the district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors said McBride received a determinate sentence of 20 years and four months in prison, to be followed by an indeterminate sentence of 75 years to life in prison.
“This tragic case underscores the devastating reality of domestic violence, which claims far too many lives,” District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement. “While no verdict can bring back a mother taken from her children in such a senseless act of violence, this sentence provides the victim’s family with a measure of justice and accountability.”
Becton said the sentence “also sends a clear message that stalking and harassment are warning signs that must be taken seriously, and that those who perpetrate such violence will be held responsible under the law.”
Anyone experiencing domestic violence can call STAND! For Families Free of Violence at 888-215-5555. Help is also available at cocofamilyjustice.org and staysafecontracosta.org.
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Jason Green
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