Maryland Woman Convicted in Baby's Death Caught in North Carolina

State of MD - A woman convicted in the 2021 death of her infant daughter has been caught after skipping her sentencing date. Ashley Nicole Franklin, 39, was arrested Thursday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The arrest came from the U.S. Marshals Service Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force. They worked with the Washington County Sheriff's Office and the USMS Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force to track her down.

Franklin was convicted on Aug. 6, 2025, of first-degree child abuse resulting in death, involuntary manslaughter, and neglect of a minor. The charges stemmed from the April 2021 death of her 10-month-old daughter.

She was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Franklin never showed up for the service of her sentence, and a failure to appear warrant was issued by the Circuit Court for Washington County on Aug. 13, 2025.

Task force members arrested Franklin and handed her over to local law enforcement for processing. She is now being returned to Maryland to serve her sentence.

"Due to the serious nature of the underlying charges, the U.S. Marshals Service identified this as a Major Case and devoted extensive time, effort, and resources to facilitate this arrest," said Patrick Brennan, Acting Commander of the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. "Despite the challenges we faced during this interstate fugitive investigation, our deputies worked diligently with federal, state, and local partners to locate this fugitive and help bring her to justice."

Washington County Sheriff Brian K. Albert also spoke about the arrest. "The successful apprehension of Ashley Franklin is a testament to the strong partnerships that exist between law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal levels. We are grateful to the United States Marshals Service and all of the agencies involved for their dedication and teamwork in locating and apprehending her. Because of those collaborative efforts, Ms. Franklin is being returned to Maryland to serve the sentence imposed following her conviction for her crime. Our commitment to seeking justice does not end with a conviction, and this case demonstrates that those who attempt to evade accountability will continue to be pursued."

The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force is funded by Congress. It brings together local, state, and federal agencies to track down fugitives wanted for serious crimes in the National Capital Region.

Agencies involved in the task force include the U.S. Marshals Service, several Maryland police departments and sheriff's offices, the FBI, ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, among others.

Disclosure: All individuals mentioned in this article are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Eastern Shore Undercover® does not express or imply any opinion regarding the incident reported.