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GUILFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The parents of a mentally and physically disabled New York teenager have been indicted on murder charges that allege they killed him in the family's New York home before setting it on fire to cover up the crime.
The Chenango County grand jury indictment charges Ernest Franklin II and Heather Franklin with second-degree murder, arson and tampering with physical evidence.
Authorities say the couple killed 16-year-old Jeffrey Franklin on Feb. 28 before setting their trailer home in Guilford on fire. Officials haven't said how the adopted teen was killed or why.
The blaze destroyed the trailer, but firefighters found the teen's body in the debris.
Police say an autopsy determined that Jeffrey was dead before the fire.
The Franklins have pleaded not guilty. They're being held in jail without bail.
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