Sixteen-year-old Mariah Franklin was shot and killed at her family’s home in the 2300 block of South Crescent Avenue in Independence, Missouri, on June 23, 2021. She had been preparing to go shopping with her mother for a new cell phone and briefly returned inside to retrieve money she’d been saving in a shoebox for a car. When she did not come back out, family members found her shot in her bedroom; the shoebox was open and the cash missing, prompting the family to believe a robbery occurred before the attacker fled.

Authorities later identified a suspect who was a juvenile at the time of the shooting. In February 2023 the individual was charged in juvenile court with second-degree murder and armed criminal action, but was not certified to be tried as an adult and their identity has been withheld. An outstanding warrant was issued by the family court, and as of late 2025 the suspect remained at large. The family has said they believe Mariah knew her attacker and has expressed concern that someone may be helping the fugitive.

Did anyone in Independence recognize Mariah or know who might have had access to her home that afternoon?