A Sycamore Township father who admitted to shooting and killing his adult daughter in January 2025 has been ordered to serve 14 to 19.5 years in prison, followed by two to five years of post-release control. The punishment stems from a plea in which he admitted to voluntary manslaughter with a firearm specification.
As reported by FOX19, 65-year-old Franklin Thompson pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter with a firearm specification. That plea agreement set the 14-to-19.5-year prison range and the two-to-five-year period of post-release control. According to the station, Thompson told investigators he shot his 24-year-old daughter, Heather Thompson, after an argument inside the family’s Sycamore Township home.
The shooting took place shortly before 1 a.m. on Jan. 27, 2025, when deputies were called to a house on 6th Avenue. A woman returning home found her sister unresponsive and dialed 911. First responders tried CPR before the victim was taken to Bethesda North Hospital, where she later died, according to WCPO. Deputies later located Thompson walking in the neighborhood with a gun and arrested him. He was initially booked on a murder charge.
Neighbors told reporters they heard multiple gunshots and screaming, then watched deputies move in to make the arrest, WLWT reported. WLWT also cited an incident report referencing a “recent brain operation causing lasting issues,” and a family friend told FOX19 that Heather had been her father’s caretaker and that “no one expected anything like this to happen” because he had “been troubled.”
What the plea means legally
Under Ohio law, voluntary manslaughter is classified as a first-degree felony, which sets the general range of prison time a judge can impose. The offense and its classification are laid out in Ohio Revised Code 2903.03. Post-release control for first-degree felonies can last up to five years, and Ohio’s firearm-specification rules require mandatory, consecutive prison time depending on the specification at issue. Those consequences are outlined in Ohio Revised Code 2967.28 and related provisions.
The plea and sentence close out the criminal case that began with the January 2025 911 call, but relatives and neighbors say the block is still living with the emotional fallout. Court records will detail any additional conditions tied to the plea, including whether violent-offender registration or other notification requirements apply.
