A chilling 911 recording and a history of documented domestic abuse have led to murder charges against an Indiana man following the shooting death of his girlfriend earlier this week.
Charles Franklin, 26, is currently being held without bail in connection with the death of 26-year-old Arrianna Miles. While Franklin maintains the shooting was a tragic accident resulting from a struggle over a weapon, prosecutors allege that forensic evidence—and the victim’s own dying declarations—tell a much darker story.
Police were dispatched to the 2400 block of Pennsylvania Street on Monday, November 17, 2025, following reports of a shooting. Upon entering the residence, officers discovered Miles lying face up on the floor with a significant gunshot wound to her abdomen.
According to the police report, Franklin was standing over the victim when officers arrived. He immediately directed law enforcement to a loveseat, stating the weapon used—a sawed-off shotgun—was underneath it.
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Miles was rushed to the Methodist Hospital Northlake emergency room, where she was pronounced dead at 3:04 p.m. The Lake County Coroner’s Office ruled the death a homicide caused by a close-range shotgun wound that entered her body at a downward angle.
A key piece of evidence in the investigation is the emergency call placed by Franklin immediately after the shooting. On the recording, Franklin tells the dispatcher that Miles was shot in the stomach and that he is applying pressure. When asked if the act was intentional, Franklin reportedly hesitated before answering “no.”
However, in the background of the call, Miles can be heard repeatedly asking Franklin, “Why would you do that?”
As she drifted in and out of consciousness, laboring to breathe, she could be heard stating, “I’m dying,” and pleading to be taken outside. When first responders arrived on the scene to treat her, Miles allegedly pointed to Franklin and told officers, “Please get him away from me,” the Post-Tribune reported.
During police interviews, Franklin claimed the incident stemmed from a verbal dispute regarding his taking too long to buy cigars. He stated that Miles, the mother of his 11-month-old son, was attempting to kick him out of the house and brought up past infidelity.
Franklin told detectives that Miles retrieved the shotgun from a closet while holding their infant son. He claimed she held the heavy weapon with the barrel facing herself, angled downward. He alleged that he stepped in to hit the butt of the gun and disarm her, causing it to discharge.
Investigators noted significant inconsistencies in this account. The size and weight of the sawed-off shotgun made Franklin’s description of how Miles held it physically improbable. Furthermore, a search of Miles’ home revealed five 12-gauge shotgun shells matching the spent casing found at the scene. When asked why ammunition was left out, Franklin said he didn’t know.
Court records paint a picture of a volatile relationship escalating over the last year. A law enforcement database revealed several prior domestic incidents involving the couple:
- April 12, 2025: Franklin allegedly choked, punched, and struck Miles with a belt. Protective orders were filed by both parties shortly after.
- May 2, 2025: During a domestic dispute where Miles asked him to leave, Franklin allegedly replied that he loved her but “would kill her.”
- June 9, 2025: Cook County Police responded to a parking garage where Miles alleged Franklin slammed her to the ground and choked her until she lost consciousness.
Franklin is facing a litany of charges, including murder and domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon. He is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon (Level 4 felony) and domestic battery committed in the presence of a child younger than 16.
Prosecutors have also attached charges related to the prior incidents, including intimidation from the May 2 encounter and misdemeanor domestic battery from the April 12 assault.
Franklin remains in custody.
Anyone with more information about the homicide is encouraged to contact Detective Brian McCall of the Lake County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force at 219-755-3855.
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