Police Arrest Man in Fatal Beating Of Babysitter, 21, With Hammer

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

Police arrested a man who allegedly used a hammer to beat a 21-year-old babysitter to death in his Brooklyn home. The slain woman, Charlene Francis, 21, may also have been the victim of sexual abuse, police said.


Police gave this account:


About 7 a.m. yesterday, the suspect, Richard Thorne, 36, got into an altercation with the babysitter inside the East New York home he shares with his girlfriend and her 2-year-old child, at 1162 Stanley Ave. The child was Francis’s charge. The fight between the suspect and the victim – who resided at 540 Kosciusko St. – escalated to the point that Mr. Thorne allegedly slammed the hammer into her head. She suffered severe head trauma.


Police arrived after receiving a 911 telephone call. Uniformed officers knocked on the door, and Mr. Thorne answered, police said. When they saw him covered in blood, the officers entered to investigate. Officers saw Francis, still alive, lying on the floor. She was taken to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.


Francis came from a religious family, according to leaders at the New Hope Pentecost Church, at 1838 Park Place, where her aunt, Sheila Francis, is a member. The pastor, Bly Simmons, said of the victim, “She grew up in the church.” Ms. Simmons said Francis was a single woman with no children of her own.


A deacon from the church, Ricky Dean, said Francis always greeted him with a pleasant smile. He also said, “She was a nice young girl. She had a lot of potential. Now it’s all thrown away.”


Police arrested Mr. Thorne in his home, where they reportedly found the weapon. He has previously been arrested for robbery in New York as recently as 2001. He was also reportedly arrested for shoplifting two times, once in 1987 in New Jersey and again in 1996 in North Carolina. Charges against Mr. Thorne were pending.


Police said they are also investigating whether the woman was the victim of a sexual assault by the suspect. The office of the city’s chief medical examiner, Charles Hirsch, is scheduled to perform an autopsy today, according to the office’s spokeswoman, Ellen Borakove.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use