SIOUX FALLS, SD — Police in Sioux Falls are still working a homicide case nearly three weeks after a man was shot and killed just east of downtown, and no arrests have been announced.
Authorities said 48-year-old Derrick Franklin was found unconscious and not breathing on the 1000 block of East Eighth Street near French Avenue shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 10, after first responders were initially called there for a report of cardiac arrest. Investigators later determined Franklin had been shot twice. Emergency crews tried life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The county coroner’s preliminary finding listed his death as a homicide.
How responders went from a medical call to a homicide scene
The first dispatch came in as a medical emergency, but the response quickly changed once crews reached the scene. When first responders arrived near East Eighth Street and French Avenue, they found evidence of a violent crime rather than a medical crisis.
According to Sgt. Cole German of the Sioux Falls Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons division, Franklin was discovered with gunshot wounds and was not breathing. Paramedics attempted to save him, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
The shift from a reported cardiac arrest to a shooting death underscores how quickly investigators had to secure the area and begin treating the location as a homicide scene.
Police say suspects may be known but details remain limited
Sioux Falls police did not publicly discuss the homicide until five days after the shooting, when German said no arrests had been made. He also said investigators had identified possible suspects or people of interest, but he would not say who they were.
German said he was withholding further details because the case is still active. He said investigators do not want to reveal too much information and risk weakening the case as it moves forward.
“An extensive investigation has taken place up to this point and continues today,” German said, adding that officers want to preserve the integrity of the investigation.
Forensic testing and prosecutors remain involved
The homicide investigation has included forensic work that has been sent to the South Dakota State Forensic Lab for analysis, German said earlier. That testing can help investigators compare physical evidence and determine how the case should proceed.
German also said police have maintained an open line of communication with the Minnehaha County State’s Attorney’s Office. That coordination suggests prosecutors are being kept informed as detectives gather evidence and review leads.
On Thursday, more than 19 days after the killing, Sgt. Aaron Benson said there were still no new developments to announce and that the case remains under active investigation.
The shooting became Sioux Falls seventh homicide of the year
Franklin’s death was the seventh homicide recorded in Sioux Falls this year, not counting deaths tied to traffic crashes. Five of those homicide cases have led to arrests, while a sixth involved juveniles.
The list of victims reflects the toll of the city’s violent crime cases this year. It includes Hunter Black Feather, 35; a 14-year-old male juvenile; Sandrau Swier, 80; Nysam Chagi, 43; Levi Phillips, 47; Katherine Frank, 26; and Franklin, 48.
Police have not said whether Franklin’s case is connected to any of the others.
Community waits as detectives press ahead with an open case
For now, the investigation remains open and police are signaling that more information may still come, but they have not offered a timeline for when that might happen. The shooting happened near a busy part of the city just east of downtown, adding to public concern around violence in the area.
German’s comments indicate officers believe the case is far from over, even if the public update remains sparse. He said investigators will release more information if and when they have it.
Until then, Franklin’s killing remains one of Sioux Falls’ unresolved homicides of the year, with detectives continuing to review evidence, follow leads and work alongside prosecutors.