NORWICH – A couple charged with murdering their special needs son will be tried separately, with the father’s case scheduled to start in today with jury selection.

Ernest Franklin II, 36, and Heather Franklin, 34, both of Guilford, are accused of committing second-degree murder, a class A felony.

Prosecution and Chenango County Sheriff’s Detective John Fern said the two watched a movie called “Manchester by the Sea,” prior to the murder. A movie where the main character accidentally burns down his home and kills his children without being charged by police.