Franklin and Jess met 3 years ago thanks to the Death Row Support Project, a program that has connected thousands of inmates to writers around the world. More than 100 written and emailed exchanges later, Franklin and Jess have built a rich relationship. And now they get to discuss life via phone calls, thanks to new tablets being allowed on death row in Livingston, Texas. This story—Franklin’s story—is so much more than a murder case. It’s a story about life: his life, Jess' life, and how they’ve become intertwined in surprisingly beautiful ways.

To learn more about Death Row Support Project, visit brethren.org/drsp