A quiet neighborhood was shaken Thursday after a woman in her 70s was attacked and killed while walking her dog, with deputies arriving to find the suspect still carrying out the assault.
MARTIN COUNTY, FL – A 25-year-old man is facing a first-degree murder charge after authorities say he carried out a fatal, seemingly random stabbing attack on an elderly woman in a residential neighborhood Thursday afternoon. The victim, described as being in her mid-70s, was found suffering from multiple stab wounds and later died at a hospital.
Kersten Francilus was taken into custody at the scene after deputies responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a man on top of a woman, “actively stabbing her.” According to officials, the suspect did not attempt to flee and surrendered when confronted by a deputy.
Details from the scene and arrest
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said the incident unfolded after neighbors reported unusual behavior by Francilus, who had been knocking on doors asking about a “new bank” in the area. “There’s no bank around here,” Budensiek said.
As deputies were en route, additional calls came in describing the violent attack in progress. Authorities say Francilus was still stabbing the victim when the first deputy arrived and ordered him to stop at gunpoint.
In court Friday, a prosecutor described the severity of the attack. “He stabbed her … upwards of 16 times and was actively stabbing her while the responding deputy responded to the scene,” the prosecutor said. “He spoke to law enforcement and [said] he killed her. When asked to describe her … the only way he could describe her was that she was Jewish.”
Paramedics transported the victim to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her identity has not been publicly released.
Investigation and suspect background
Budensiek said there is no known connection between Francilus and the victim, calling the attack random. “At this point, this appears like an extremely violent, random act of violence, really an odd set of circumstances for this nice neighborhood,” he said. “… We just simply know that we’ve had a horrendous crime that’s taken place in this neighborhood.”
Investigators later recovered what they believe to be the weapon used in the attack, identified by family members as a steak knife from Francilus’ home. The sheriff said the suspect lives nearby with his mother and wife.
Authorities noted deputies had previously responded to the home for reports of Francilus “acting strangely,” but there were no significant prior incidents.
Neighbors who encountered Francilus before the attack described him as calm and not confrontational. “When they engaged in the conversation and told him there was no bank here, he kind of just turned off and meandered back down the driveway, not being confrontational. He never really was confrontational with anybody he interacted with,” Budensiek said.
Francilus remains held at the Martin County Jail without bond as the investigation continues.