Man convicted for killing varsity football player and shooting at NFL cornerback sentenced to life imprisonment
NFL cornerback Corey Ballentine was experiencing the happiest day of his life, but it soon turned into a nightmare when his best friend was fatally shot. This week, a Topeka man was convicted for the 2019 murder of Washburn University football player Dwane Simmons.
The shooting incident also saw the Atlanta Falcons cornerback receive non-life-threatening injuries.
21-year-old Francisco A. "Franky" Mendez was sentenced to life in prison for the killing of Simmons. He must serve a minimum of 50 years before he can be considered for parole.
Mendez was also convicted of multiple additional charges including four counts of attempted murder, one relating to the shooting of Ballentine, for which he received a further 41 years.
The Titan football family mourns the loss of one of our own, Dwane Simmons. Dwane was a person of character & charisma. He was a 2013 Football State Champion cornerback and a leader on & off the field. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dwane’s family & Washburn University. #21 https://t.co/NmF7bReDcL
The incident involving Simmons and the NFL player
In the 2019 NFL Draft, Corey Ballentine was selected by the New York Giants in the 6th round with the 180th pick. He decided to go out and celebrate with four of his Washburn University teammates, one of whom was Dwane Simmons.
In the early hours of the following morning, Topeka police, responding to reports of gunshots, found Simmons deceased at the scene, and Ballentine with a lower body gunshot wound.
The Atlanta Falcons CB gave testimony during the trial in which he described how he attended a house party with Simmons and others. Simmons went outside, with Ballentine and three other teammates soon joined them. At which point, an unfamiliar car pulled up, and he recounted the following sequence of events:
"They stopped and the driver asked do y’all smoke? And together we all answered ‘no’. The person behind the driver asked What are your names?’ and someone, I’m not sure who said ‘Don’t worry about it'. They pulled off, I’d say, 20 feet. We were just trying to gather what had just happened and we didn’t even have time to start another conversation and then they stopped before they started shooting."
During the trial, Mendez is said to have shown little remorse and had consistently refused to give up the identities of the other passengers in the car that night.
Ready to get emotional? #Giants Corey Ballentine admits he’s now in a way trying to live out two NFL dreams, in honor of late friend Dwane Simmons. “I feel like I’m kinda doing it for both of us.” Ballentine is considering a tattoo in Simmons’ honor. Heartbreaking. https://t.co/8XK3BbYbEc
Previously, when discussing the murder of his best friend and teammate, Ballentine has confessed that he feels that he is now playing for both of them. He concedes that he tries not to think about the night in question too often, and does not like to talk about it out of respect for Simmons.
The NFL cornerback has been left with both emotional and physical scars from that tragic night, and the bullet remains lodged inside him. Another senseless killing, still without an explanation!