A UNC professor went to church with her boyfriend on Sunday, only to be murdered by him, the following Friday- Charlotte, North Carolina.
The body of Dr. Jeannine Shante Skinner, 35, was found in an apartment in the 9300 block of Kings Parade Boulevard at 11:37 a.m. on Sept. 2. Police were called to the home to do a welfare check.
Police immediately issued an arrest warrant for her domestic partner, 45-year-old Donny Lewis Franklin.
Franklin is the sole suspect in the Doctor’s murder.
Police say that Franklin was Skinner’s boyfriend, and had been convicted of violent crimes in the past, including domestic abuse.
In September 2003, Franklin pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of assault on a female, court records show, while a charge of violating a domestic violence protective order was dismissed at that time.
Skinner, an assistant professor of gerontology and psychology in the Department of Psychological Science, was remembered Saturday for her work at the university and what she had to offer to the community.
Gerontology is the scientific study of aging. At the time of her death Skinner and another associate were working on starting a program to research the impact of walking as a way to prevent cognitive decline in older adults.
Franklin was arrested and charged with murder on Tuesday.
Authorities said that Skinner’s body was badly battered when discovered. The domestic violence situation ended in murder.
Skinner was loved by many.
