Warren County man convicted of murdering Franklin woman in her home

A Lebanon man has been convicted of murder in the June 2023 death of a Franklin woman. FILE

Credit: FILE

Credit: FILE

A Lebanon man has been convicted of murder in the June 2023 death of a Franklin woman. FILE

A Lebanon man has been convicted of murder in the June 2023 death of a Franklin woman.

Warren County Common Pleas Court Judge Donald E. Oda II found Elijah Malik Thomas, 28, guilty of aggravated murder with firearm specifications, two counts of murder and related charges in the death of Katelyn Puckett, 23, in her home, according to a release Thursday from the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office.

Elijah Thomas

Credit: Warren County Jail

icon to expand image

Credit: Warren County Jail

Following the two-day trial, Oda also found Thomas guilty of felonious assault and improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation, according to Prosecutor David P. Fornshell.

Thomas faces a mandatory life sentence, Fornshell said. Oda ordered a pre-sentence investigation and scheduled the sentencing for a later date.

On June 17, 2023, Thomas approached Puckett as she returned to her apartment and fired nine shots at close range in front of eyewitnesses, according to the prosecutor’s office. Six of the shots struck Puckett, officials said.

Franklin police officers said they were dispatched about 12:40 a.m. June 18 to Boulder Drive at the Emerald Edge Apartments off East Second Street (Ohio 73), where they found Puckett shot multiple times. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said Thomas fled on foot. Thomas was arrested around 9:35 a.m. that day after a traffic stop in Franklin and was taken into custody without incident, according to police.

About the Author