A 25‑year‑old Florida man, Kersten Francilus, is charged with first‑degree murder after allegedly stabbing a woman in her mid‑70s more than a dozen times in what authorities describe as a seemingly random attack.
How the attack unfolded
- The stabbing happened Thursday afternoon in a residential neighborhood in Martin County while the woman was walking her dog; Francilus was reportedly still stabbing her when a deputy arrived and ordered him to stop, after which he surrendered.
- Paramedics rushed the victim to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead; investigators say she and Francilus had no known connection.
Francilus’s behavior and statements
- Before the stabbing, Francilus was seen knocking on doors and asking neighbors about a “new bank,” which alarmed residents enough for them to call 911.
- In court, a prosecutor said Francilus told law enforcement he killed the woman and described her only as “Jewish,” while neighbors described him during the earlier knocks as calm and not obviously armed or confrontational.
What investigators found
- At Francilus’s nearby home, family members identified the weapon as a steak knife from their kitchen; the sheriff noted deputies had previously responded to the residence for him acting strangely but had no prior criminal calls.
- Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek characterized the incident as an “extremely violent, random act of violence” in an otherwise quiet neighborhood and said the case remains under investigation.
