Sonia Barber and Monique Rivarde have traveled similar life paths.
Both were single mothers who moved their children to Douglasville in hopes of finding better, safer homes for them.
Their firstborn were young when they assumed the role of man of the house and cared for their sisters like a father would. Both sons dreamed of careers in sports.
On Thursday, Rivarde told a jury of the hole in her life since Tracen Franklin murdered her son, Bobby Tillman, almost two years ago. Barber, Franklin’s mother, spoke of his dreams of a better life through sports, especially football at Alabama State University where he was studying to be a sportscaster.
In the next few days, a jury will take the stories told by the mothers and others and decide if Franklin should be executed for his crime or will live out his life in prison, either with a sentence of life without parole or life with the possibility of parole after he has served 30 years.
“I’m asking you for mercy,” defense attorney Jerilyn Bell said to the jurors. “I’m asking you to look into his heart and soul and see that he can be redeemed.”
The jury convicted Franklin on Wednesday of murder for his role in the random and vicious attack on 18-year-old Tillman. Tillman’s heart tore after he was punched and kicked as teenagers left a party called for two Douglasville high school girls who got good grades.
Barber said her son should be held “accountable” for the pain Tillman’s family suffered. But until that night, Franklin’s life was on track. “He had to grow up fast. He was making responsible decisions at 3 years old,” Barber said.
Franklin and three others were charged with kicking and stomping Tillman. Emanuel Boykins pleaded guilty to murder last spring for starting the attack and is in prison for life, but with the possibility of parole. Quantez Devonta Mallory and Horace Damon Coleman also are charged with murdering Tillman but they have not gone to trial; they are not facing the death penalty.
The party on Nov. 6, 2010, ended around midnight when the parents told everyone to go home. As teenagers spilled out, witnesses said two girls started fighting on the lawn, and Boykins was hit by one of them when he tried to stop the fight.
Boykins then announced he was going to “pop” the next guy he saw because he didn’t hit girls. Tillman, who wanted to be a sports agent, was sitting on the trunk of a car at the top of the driveway.
The attack lasted about 30 seconds.
“He was my everything,” Rivarde said. “I need him like I need my heart to beat and my lungs to breathe. I don’t know what to do now.”
Debra LeBlanc-Isaacs, Franklin’s aunt, said the family’s first thought on learning of the incident was of Tillman’s family.
“I know he’s dreadfully sorry,” LeBlanc-Isaacs said. “When we first heart about it … our hearts broke for her [Rivarde] and we constantly offer her up in our prayers. We are so terribly sorry and I want her to know our family is sorry she lost her son. We’re sorry.”
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