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Heather Frango


Inmate Name: Heather Frango Charge: second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and child neglect Sentence: Three years Prison: Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, Virginia Heather Frango was born in Virginia in 1980. Relatives say Heather’s mother separated from Heather’s father a month before Heather was born. In her early teens, Heather met James Martin, a construction worker who was four years older than Heather. Although James maintained a close friendship with Heather, at age 20, she decided to marry James Frango, a furniture delivery driver. But a year later, they separated. Soon after, James Martin and Heather moved in together. They lived together for two years when James was fined for keeping several pit bulls without a city license or proper vaccinations. Despite his brush with the law, James continued to raise several different pit bulls as pets. In the summer of 2002, Heather became pregnant. Her son Jonathan was born on January 4, 2003. Another son named Daniel Conner followed. Heather continued to live with James Martin who supported her and their children on his pay as a construction worker. In the winter of 2004, Heather, James and their two sons moved into a home in Suffolk, Virginia. According to relatives, the couple often fought over James’ pit bulls named Ox and Little Girl, whom he had chained in the backyard. James said sometimes the children would play with the dogs. On the evening of October 2, 2005, James and Heather tucked their kids in bed upstairs. James brought the pitbulls into the house and allowed them to sleep in a room off the kitchen downstairs. At 6:30 the following morning, both sons climbed into bed with the couple, as they usually did. About an hour later, Jonathan got out of bed and wandered down the steps to go to the bathroom and get a bowl of cereal. The pit bulls savagely attacked little Jonathan. Heather called 911 and the severely bleeding child was flown by helicopter to a local hospital where his parents met with doctors. Jonathan was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at the hospital. Temporary custody of 20-month-old Daniel Conner was given to Heather’s aunt and uncle. While Heather and James mourned their son Jonathan’s death, detectives began their investigation into murder charges against them. Two months after Jonathan’s death, police arrested James Martin and Heather Frango. They were charged with second degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and child neglect.. Their case was the first in the country, in which parents were charged with murder in connection with a family dog attack. James was also charged with drug possession since he had marijuana on him when police picked him up. On May 15, 2006, seven months after Jonathan’s death, Heather and James pled guilty to child neglect and involuntary manslaughter. In exchange, the state dropped the second degree murder charge against them. They faced 20 years in prison. On August 28, Heather and James were sentenced to three years in prison, with James getting an additional six months for a previous hit and run crash. Heather originally agreed to an on-camera interview but then declined. She did answer a letter in which she wrote that she believes God has a purpose for her, but at the time of the sentencing, she was distraught. She says she misses Jonathan every second of every day.