Man accused of killing attorney in Orlando home charged with second-degree murder

ORLANDO, Fla. — The man accused of killing a local attorney last month in her Orlando home has been charged officially with second-degree murder.

Orlando police arrested William Franklin on first-degree murder for stabbing Erin Hartigan to death with kitchen knives after he went missing from Orlando Regional Medical Center.

READ: Man found hiding in backyard arrested after Orange County attorney found dead inside home, police say

New documents filed show the state wants to see all of his medical records from the hospital and what police observed in the 13 hours they had him in custody to see if he could be indicted on first-degree murder charges.

Documents show that Franklin said the hospital gave him something to wipe out his memory, so he doesn’t remember anything from the morning Hartigan was killed. But police said he told them he ingested something at his birthday party days before.

READ: ‘She just had a big heart’: What friends want you to know about Erin Hartigan, attorney killed in Orlando home

Officials said taking those drugs himself would be key in determining his guilt and the level of his charges.

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Video: ‘It’s terrifying’: Neighbors in community where Orlando attorney was killed demand action Residents in Delaney Park are demanding action days after police say one of their neighbors was killed in a seemingly random attack in their home.