GUILTY FL - Christine Franke, 25, UCF student, Orlando, shot in head, 21 Oct 2001 *DNA arrest*

[Niner]

Finally have a sentencing date!

Document status:
Date Description Pages Doc
03/23/2023 HEARING - Sentencing - Brownlee, Paetra

02/10/2023 Notice of Hearing


Hearings:
Date Hearing Time Location Pages Doc
3/23/2023 Sentencing - Brownlee, Paetra 3:00 PM Room 7-D On The 7th Floor

2/7/2023 Trial - Brownlee, Paetra (Actual: Brownlee, Paetra) 1:00 PM Room 7-D On The 7th Floor

link: https://myeclerk.myorangeclerk.com/.../M9DxP4FQIH+Rp5fBICLq2k4Zqysi3sz2olrcyyGhdeA=

 

[Niner]

Update!

Tuesday, February 7th:
*Trial continues (Day 5)-VERDICT REACHED! (@ 9am) – FL - Christine Franke (25) (Oct. 21, 2001, Orlando, shot in head) - *Benjamin Lee Holmes, Jr. (21 @ time of crime/38/now 42) arrested (11/2/18), charged (11/21/18) & arraigned (12/10/18) with 1st degree murder (with a firearm) & 1st degree robbery with a firearm. Plead not guilty. Held without bond.
Parabon NanoLabs Snapshot DNA Phenotyping & GEDMatch.
Trial begin on 1/30/23 with jury selection. Trial began on 2/1/23 & ended 2/7/23 with a guilty verdict.
Court hearings from 11/6/18 thru 1/12/23, Jury Selection Days 1-2 (1/30 to 1/31/23) & Trial Days 1-4 (2/1 to 2/6/23) reference post #115 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...do-shot-in-head-21-oct-2001-dna.397627/page-6
2/6/23: State filed Notice of prior convictions & Criminal history.
2/7/23 Tuesday, Trial Day 5: Closing arguments by Assistant State attorney Sean Wiggins & by defense attorney Jerry Girley. Jury started deliberations in late afternoon. Holmes was found guilty of 1st degree murder by a jury at the Orange County Courthouse on Tuesday evening. Defense attorney to contact judicial assistant for sentencing date. Disposition.
For more info see post #116 (article) here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...-in-head-21-oct-2001-dna-arrest.397627/page-6
2/8/23: Evidence control sheet filed. 2/15/23 Update: Sentencing hearing on 3/23/23.

 

[Niner]

Court site update:

2/17/23: Defendant's motion for a new trial & to arrest the judgment. More info see:
https://myeclerk.myorangeclerk.com/...2i822BWtegQTEpoSUFOEZ99U/yhcGDscpuhXyK8Pcpg==

 

[Niner]

Thursday, March 23rd:
*Sentencing Hearing (@ 3pm) – FL - Christine Franke (25) (Oct. 21, 2001, Orlando, shot in head) - *Benjamin Lee Holmes, Jr. (21 @ time of crime/38/now 42) arrested (11/2/18), charged (11/21/18) & arraigned (12/10/18) with 1st degree murder (with a firearm) & 1st degree robbery with a firearm. Plead not guilty. Held without bond.
Parabon NanoLabs Snapshot DNA Phenotyping & GEDMatch.
Trial begin on 1/30/23 with jury selection. Trial began on 2/1/23 & ended 2/7/23 with a guilty verdict. Sentencing hearing on 3/23/23.
Court hearings from 11/6/18 thru 1/12/23, Jury Selection Days 1-2 (1/30 to 1/31/23) & Trial Days 1-5 (2/1 to 2/7/23) reference post #122 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...do-shot-in-head-21-oct-2001-dna.397627/page-7
2/15/23 Update: Sentencing hearing on 3/23/23 by Judge Paetra Brownlee. 2/17/23: Defendant's motion for a new trial & to arrest the judgment. More info see:
https://myeclerk.myorangeclerk.com/...2i822BWtegQTEpoSUFOEZ99U/yhcGDscpuhXyK8Pcpg==
3/22/23: Notice of unavailability. From 5/22 to 5/23/23 & 7/26 thru & including 7/28/23 filed by Assistant State attorney Sean B. Wiggins.

 

[dotr]

rbbm.

Benjamin Holmes sentenced to life in prison in 2001 murder of UCF student

Benjamin Holmes, the man found guilty for the murder of UCF student Christine Franke, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Thursday.

www.clickorlando.com

Samantha Dunne: March 23, 2023


''ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Benjamin Holmes, the man found guilty for the murder of UCF student Christine Franke, is set to be sentenced Thursday.

In February, Holmes was convicted of killing Christine Franke, 25, during a robbery at her Audubon Park apartment on Oct. 21, 2001.

Holmes wasn’t arrested in connection with the fatal shooting until 2018, when a man who had never heard of Franke or the news surrounding her death submitted his DNA to a genealogy database, leading detectives to his potential relative, Holmes.

Investigators had uploaded Holmes’ genetic data using DNA extracted from semen found at the crime scene to GEDmatch, a free online database used by genealogists and amateur researchers to identify potential relatives.''

''The defense has argued Holmes’ DNA was planted at the crime scene.
Holmes, who faces life in prison, is scheduled to be sentenced at 3 p.m. Thursday.''

 

[Niner]

Docket Events:

Date Description Pages Doc
03/23/2023 Motion for New Trial
Comments: Defense Motion for new trial and to arrest Judgement was Denied as stated on the record.

03/23/2023 Court Minutes
Comments: Victim Impact statements given.

03/23/2023 Disposition

03/23/2023 Nolle Prosequi 1

03/23/2023 HEARING - Sentencing - Brownlee, Paetra (Actual: Brownlee, Paetra)

link: https://myeclerk.myorangeclerk.com/...LOCaPZZynZBMD4+43d1E2FMLggBL65hvDtQeW+RD/Kv4=



nolle pros·qui:
an entry on the record of a legal action denoting that the prosecutor or plaintiff will proceed no further in an action or suit either as a whole or as to some count or as to one or more of several defendants.


The court site didn't give much on his sentencing - and the only article I could find was from YT:

Benjamin Holmes, the man found guilty for the murder of UCF student Christine Franke, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Thursday.