Man accused of killing woman in front of her children appears in court
RICHMOND (BCN) A San Pablo man accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend to death in front of her children last week appeared in court in Richmond this afternoon but he did not enter a plea.
The arraignment of Lawyer Dushan McBride, 43, of San Pablo, was postponed to April 17 at the request of his attorney, Nicole Eiland of the Contra Costa County Public Defender's Office.
McBride was barely visible as he stood behind his attorney, arms shackled behind him, clad in yellowish-orange and under guard in a room separated by barred walls from the rest of the courtroom.
When asked by Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge David Goldstein if he agreed to having the arraignment postponed, McBride said he did.
McBride is alleged to have shot and killed his former girlfriend, 29-year-old Rashanda Franklin of Richmond, last Tuesday when she was trying to drive her sons, both under 10 years old, to school in the northeast area
of Richmond.
McBride was arrested the next day in Sacramento by Richmond police detectives and members of the U.S. Marshals Service.
On Friday, McBride was charged with murder, firing a weapon into an occupied vehicle and faces firearms offenses and other enhancements, according to Deputy District Attorney Derek Butts.
During today's hearing, McBride's attorney initially asked if the arraignment could be postponed two weeks to give her time to read the documents in the case.
In response, Deputy District Attorney Derek Butts said the 50-page packet of documents including the police reports could be delivered quickly to Eiland.
More than a dozen friends and relatives of Franklin attended the hearing, clustered across four rows of seats in the courtroom.
"She was my cousin," said Danquell Bethancourt of Richmond before the hearing. "I am here because I want justice to be served for Rashanda. I'm here to serve my family."
Speaking to Erica Jones of Richmond, Bethancourt said, "I don't even know what to feel any more. It was too much."
Jones said, "Rashanda didn't deserve this."
She added with conviction, "Justice will be served."
McBride's bail remains at $3.1 million.