COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The ex-boyfriend of a Kennesaw Student shot and killed will spend decades in prison.
Alasia Franklin died on May 18, 2024 after she was shot outside a residence hall on Kennesaw State campus. This week, Samuel Harris pleaded guilty to malice murder, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence and other charges in Franklin’s death.
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Franklin was a standout student at KSU and had made the Dean’s list.
“Her ultimate goal was to be a nurse practitioner,” her mother Alinda Fortner told Channel 2 Action News. “She was very humble. She was sweet.”
Fortner said her daughter and Harris grew up in Cairo, Georgia and had known each other since middle school. The two eventually started dating.
Franklin’s mother said the couple went through a heated breakup months before her death but thought they had agreed to remain friends.
After Franklin was shot, investigators said Harris took her phone, car and other items before he left the scene. Officers found Harris in another jurisdiction after he killed Franklin.
As part of his plea, Harris will be eligible for parole.
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