DELMAR - One year ago this week, Delmar police officer, Corporal Keith Heacook, was killed in the line of duty. But he wasn't the only person attacked that day. Steve and Judy Franklin suffered their own trauma, and share how they've healed one year later.
Home is where you're supposed to feel safe, but on the same morning that Corporal Keith Heacook was beaten to death, police say the suspect in that crime used deceit to infiltrate The Franklin's home just before.
The attacker, Randon Wilkerson, was living with their neighbor across the street.
"The guy comes knocking at my back door and he says, 'Hi, Chuck (who is the homeowner), sent me over. There’s a child being raped across the street, and he wanted to know if you could help. Can I just come in and talk to you for a minute?', said Steve Franklin, recalling that morning's events.
Court documents later revealed that Wilkerson was lying.
After proceeding to enter the Franklin's home, unprompted, Wilkerson brutally attacked the couple using an angel figurine. Steve says he was able to fight off the attacker, who according to court documents, then went back across the street and attacked Corporal Heacook. Heacook was responding to the initial 911 call from Wilkerson's roommate, who Wilkerson allegedly punched before going to the Franklin's home.
The Franklin's did not know Heacook personally, though their lives are forever intertwined because of that horrible day.
"100 times worse than anything I went through," Steve Franklin said. "He died a hero.
The injuries the couple sustained that day still affect their everyday lives.
"She's still not real stable...still needs to push the cart at Walmart to get around rather than walking," Steve Franklin said of his wife. "And I’ve still got some balance and some coordination issues. I’ve got a Harley Davidson motorcycle in the garage, and I’m going to have to leave relearn how to ride it."
In the wake of an unimaginable event, Steve Franklin found strength in returning to his longtime volunteer work at the Human Society of Wicomico County.
"I got back within a couple of days, I guess, to the shelter,' Steve said. "I love the big dogs in the shelter, and I needed it. That’s my outlet, and it’s part of the reason that I’m still here because my fitness level is pretty good."
He thanks all that dog-walking and being a former Marine for his ability to fight back that day.
"When you’re in the Marine Corps, there is no such thing as fight or flight," Steve said. "There’s only fight. There is no flight. I’m not going anywhere."
The Franklin's say the incident came with some PTSD and lasting physical reminders, but they have not considered moving out of their house.
"I’m not going to let some dirt bag like that run me out of the neighborhood. It’s not going to happen," Steve said.
The Franklin's continue to heal, physically and emotionally, while an entire community still mends its broken heart over a lost hero.