A three-judge panel of the Superior Court has convicted Derrick Francis, 43, of Bronx, New York, of murder in the 2023 shooting death of his child’s mother, who was also the daughter of Jamaican selector Ricky Trooper.
The panel, composed of Judges Earl B. Richards III, Eliot D. Prescott, and Peter A. McShane, unanimously found Francis guilty of murdering 34-year-old McKoy inside the Bridgeport apartment they shared on April 6, 2023. The judges rejected Francis’ claim of “extreme emotional disturbance” as a defense.
According to the arrest affidavit, officers responded to a 911 call reporting an assault at the Coachlight Square condominium complex shortly before 11:30 a.m. that day. When police arrived, they found McKoy dead from gunshot wounds in her bedroom.
A neighbor testified during the trial that she heard Francis and McKoy arguing loudly, McKoy screaming “Stop, stop, stop,” and then a loud gunshot. When the neighbor went to check, she reportedly saw Francis leaving the apartment.
Following the killing, Francis fled Connecticut and made his way to Solon, Ohio. He was apprehended two days later after officers stopped the vehicle he was riding in during a traffic stop. Francis ran from the police but was captured after a short foot chase. Officers recovered a gun from under the passenger seat, which forensic testing later confirmed had fired the cartridge cases found at the murder scene.
Francis, who was already being sought in connection with a prior domestic incident involving McKoy at the time of the killing, was extradited back to Connecticut with the help of the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force.
During the trial, State’s Attorney Joseph Corradino argued that Francis’ shifting stories to police—first claiming he wrestled the gun from McKoy, then saying he found it in a drawer while looking for money—showed that his actions were not those of someone overcome by emotion, but of someone trying to cover his tracks.
“What comes out of the evidence is a defendant concerned with what is his,” Corradino said during closing arguments.
Francis’ attorney, Gerald Klein, maintained that Francis had “reached a breaking point” in a turbulent relationship and described the killing as a “crime of passion,” but the judges were not persuaded, according to a report by CT Post.
Bridgeport Police Department/Contributed
The courtroom was filled with emotion Friday as the verdict was read. McKoy’s mother shouted “Murderer!” as Francis was led out in handcuffs.
Corradino, who tried the case with assistance from Inspector Edward Zack and Paralegal Christina Bennett, praised the professionalism of law enforcement in both Connecticut and Ohio for their role in capturing Francis and securing the evidence needed for conviction.
Francis now faces up to 60 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for June 5, 2025.
McKoy’s death shook the Jamaican diaspora, as her father, Ricky Trooper, shared his devastation in a series of Instagram posts mourning his daughter’s loss.
Ricky Trooper is a legendary figure in the reggae and dancehall scene, renowned for his prowess as a sound system selector. Trooper gained prominence in the 1990s as the lead selector for the iconic Killamanjaro Sound System, where he worked alongside notable artists like Ninjaman, Papa San, and Bunny General.
