Suspect held in murder of Ricky Trooper’s daughter
BRIDGEPORT — Local police announced on Monday that a man suspected of killing his 23-year-old girlfriend, the daughter of a figure in the Jamaican reggae scene, had been apprehended out of state.
Derrick Francis, 41, was arrested in Ohio and will be charged with the murder of Brianna Destiny McKoy when he is extradited to Connecticut, Capt. Kevin Gilleran, public information officer for the Bridgeport Police Department, said. Bond was set at $3 million. Francis was held in Ohio as a fugitive from justice pending extradition, Gilleran said.
“I would like to thank the Bridgeport Police Homicide Squad and all our law enforcement partners in Ohio for the speedy apprehension of this violent suspect,” Gilleran said in a statement.
Francis, also known as Ainsley Forbes, was dating McKoy at the time of her death, according to police. Gilleran said police had previously responded to incidents involving the couple. He characterized McKoy’s death as a “domestic violence homicide.”
Residents of a North End condominium complex reported hearing gunfire followed by the sound of a car speeding away on the morning of April 6 before McKoy was found fatally shot around 11:20 a.m., according to police. Her baby was located at the scene, police said.
McKoy’s father, described by the Jamaican publication The Gleaner as “veteran music selector” Ricky Trooper, took to Instagram to mourn his daughter’s death. In the ensuing days, Trooper shared a number of childhood photos of McKoy and expressed support for efforts to catch Francis.
On Monday, Trooper shared a picture of the wanted poster, edited to read that Francis had been apprehended, to his Instagram account.
