Life in prison is the fate for Lawyer Dushan McBride, 51, after being convicted earlier this year for the 2017 murder of Rashanda Franklin, 30. Judge Mary Ann O'Malley of the Contra Costa County Superior Court handed down a 95-year-to-life sentence, per the Contra Costa County announcement. McBride's sentence combines a 20-year and 4-month determinate term with a successive indeterminate life sentence.
The court heard how McBride lay in wait for Franklin in a church parking lot, where she had been dropping off her children for school. After Franklin terminated their two-year relationship, McBride began a relentless campaign of stalking and harassment. The confrontation escalated when McBride, armed, stopped Franklin's vehicle near the intersection of 29th Street and Rheem Avenue in Richmond, and, despite her pleas, shot her dead while her children were present. The chilling encounter was captured on a 911 recording in which Franklin can be heard saying, per the Contra Costa County website, "I've got my kids in the car," to which McBride coldly replied, "I ain't playing with you."
Alongside the murder conviction, McBride was also found guilty of additional charges, including firing into an occupied vehicle, stalking, and firearm use resulting in death. District Attorney Diana Becton highlighted the broader implications of the case, stating, “This tragic case underscores the devastating reality of domestic violence, which claims far too many lives.” She continued, “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. It 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,” as conveyed by the official county report.
