The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office now believes that the teen who they thought died in a fire on March 1 at his Mount Upton home was actually murdered and the fire was set to cover the crime. They have now charged the boy’s parents with murder and arson. 35-year-old Ernest Franklin and 33-year-old Heather Franklin were taken into custody after an autopsy determined that 16-year-old Jeffrey Franklin was already dead before the fire started. No other information, including a possible motive, has been released. The sheriff’s office says their investigation continues and more charges are possible. The Franklins will be arraigned this morning.
