Mary Franklin lives in Roslindale but she walked into Boston police headquarters on Friday with her pillow and blanket and has been camped out in the lobby every since.Watch the reportThe 55-year-old Roslindale grandmother was widowed 18 year ago when her husband Melvin was killed near their then-home in Dorchester while walking home from work.She has taken the pain and frustration from knowing no one has been arrested and turned it into a movement for answers."Women survivors of homicides do not have services at all," said Franklin stepping outside of the Boston police headquarters just for a few minutes because WCVB-TV's Rhondella Richardson was not allowed to interview her inside.Franklin wants a meeting with the police commissioner and media to lay out a list of demands but so far her only time with Commissioner William Evans was when she was lying on the floor sleeping Sunday and he woke her around 6 a.m."I kept hearing, 'Mary, Mary it's Billy, Commissioner Evans,'" said Franklin.The number of unsolved homicides in Boston regularly keeps Franklin up at night and that's why she founded Women Survivors of Homicide Movement, eight months ago."I'm not accepting that cases have gone cold and won't be solved," Franklin said.Franklin is demanding police designate a room at headquarters where detectives can meet with survivors. She wants an appointed survivor advocate, too.She told Richardson Melvin Franklin, 39, was shot to death on Woodrow Avenue in Dorchester 18 years ago. She calls it her own example of why a survivor advocate is needed. She didn't learn until recently her husband interrupted a robbery and likely saved someone else's life.The widow wants police to get more sensitivity training for dealing with survivors and surveys for survivors to give police feedback.Police and Franklin aren't seeing eye to eye on how to fulfill each demand. Police said it's a work in progress, Franklin says she's not leaving until it's all done.Even if she stays through Thanksgiving.

Mary Franklin lives in Roslindale but she walked into Boston police headquarters on Friday with her pillow and blanket and has been camped out in the lobby every since.

Watch the report


The 55-year-old Roslindale grandmother was widowed 18 year ago when her husband Melvin was killed near their then-home in Dorchester while walking home from work.



She has taken the pain and frustration from knowing no one has been arrested and turned it into a movement for answers.

"Women survivors of homicides do not have services at all," said Franklin stepping outside of the Boston police headquarters just for a few minutes because WCVB-TV's Rhondella Richardson was not allowed to interview her inside.

Franklin wants a meeting with the police commissioner and media to lay out a list of demands but so far her only time with Commissioner William Evans was when she was lying on the floor sleeping Sunday and he woke her around 6 a.m.



"I kept hearing, 'Mary, Mary it's Billy, Commissioner Evans,'" said Franklin.

The number of unsolved homicides in Boston regularly keeps Franklin up at night and that's why she founded Women Survivors of Homicide Movement, eight months ago.

"I'm not accepting that cases have gone cold and won't be solved," Franklin said.

Franklin is demanding police designate a room at headquarters where detectives can meet with survivors. She wants an appointed survivor advocate, too.

She told Richardson Melvin Franklin, 39, was shot to death on Woodrow Avenue in Dorchester 18 years ago. She calls it her own example of why a survivor advocate is needed. She didn't learn until recently her husband interrupted a robbery and likely saved someone else's life.

The widow wants police to get more sensitivity training for dealing with survivors and surveys for survivors to give police feedback.

Police and Franklin aren't seeing eye to eye on how to fulfill each demand. Police said it's a work in progress, Franklin says she's not leaving until it's all done.



Even if she stays through Thanksgiving.