NORWICH – The Franklin murder trial continued Monday with testimony from the defendant’s sister about the Franklins, the treatment of their adopted son, and their emotional state in the days after he had passed away.

Ernest Franklin II, 36, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree arson, and tampering with physical evidence.

Prosecutors say at around midnight on March 1, 2017 Ernest Franklin and Heather Franklin worked together to kill their 16-year-old disabled son, Jeffrey Franklin, and burn the evidence at their home at 457 State Route 8 in the Town of Guilford.

According to Connie Davis, the defendant’s sister, Jeffrey was a sweet kid who liked to have fun, but was deaf and was unable to have a conversation without using sign language.

“He had the mind of a seven year old,” said Davis. “...but he wasn’t allowed to act like a kid.”

She said she’d go to the Franklin home and eat dinner, play games, or sometimes watch movies with them multiple times a week – before she filed a child protective services complaint against them in 2015. On cross examination she added that when she was told she’d have to testify in this case she told defense that she would rather overdose on prescription medication than testify against her brother.