Jury acquits Detroit woman in stabbing death of husband

A jury in Wayne County recently acquitted a Detroit woman in the stabbing death of her husband, an act her attorney says was done in self defense.

Davida Franklin was arrested in 2020 after police said she fatally stabbed her husband, Governor Franklin, during a domestic dispute on Nov. 30, 2020. She was charged with second-degree murder.

The stabbing took place about 11:30 p.m. on the 12500 block of Wilfred, which is north of East Outer Drive and east of Gratiot Avenue on Detroit's east side.

Nicole James, attorney for Davida Franklin, said the husband had been smoking marijuana, drinking and was not taking medicine he was prescribed for paranoid schizophrenia. He had been to prison and jail several times for domestic violence against her as well, James said.

James said Governor Franklin kept trying to attack her, even as her grandchildren, daughter and son-in-law tried to get between them to stop him. Franklin grabbed a knife to protect herself and as he continued to approach her, she stabbed him once in the chest, James said.

"My argument the entire time was she was a person who I never believed should have been charged and yet she was," James said.

The jury returned the not guilty verdict on June 29, court records show.

Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Maria Miller said Davida Franklin's actions warranted the second-degree murder charge.

"It was a difficult case where the essential witnesses were all related," Miller said. "This matter was appropriate to go before a jury. We must respect the fact that they acquitted the defendant after hearing the facts and evidence."

James said Franklin is extremely happy to have the case over with and not have it hanging over her head.

"She can move on with her life and get back to work and her family," James said. "She can breathe a sigh of relief."

Prosecutors argued Davida Franklin created an environment where there was a high risk of death because she brought a knife into the situation despite her husband not being armed, James said.

kberg@detroitnews.com