Trial in killing of gay photographer Ed French ends in hung jury

by John Ferrannini

The partner and sister of a gay photographer killed during a 2017 robbery are stunned after a recent San Francisco criminal trial of the accused killers ended with a hung jury.

“You don’t want to know what my thoughts were,” Lorrie French, the 83-year-old sister of Ed French, told the Bay Area Reporter when asked what she thought when she heard the news.

The jury voted 10-2 on May 22 in favor of convicting Lamonte Mims, 25 of Patterson, and Fantasy Decuir, 25 of San Francisco of murdering Ed French, 71, of San Francisco, but a unanimous verdict was required for conviction.

On a second count of seconddegree robbery of Ed French – Mims was convicted, but the jury hung on the charge for Decuir, 10-2.

The charges stemmed from July 16, 2017, when French was approached in the early morning hours by Mims and Decuir, according to prosecutors, as he was photographing the sunrise from Twin Peaks.

According to video evidence, Decuir is seen shooting French after Mims took his camera.

Decuir and Mims were arrested several weeks later after a man and woman were robbed of their camera, wallet, credit cards, and both United States and European Union currency at St. Mary’s Cathedral Square. Decuir and Mims were found guilty on the counts relating to these allegations, which are separate from the charges of homicide and robbery against French.

They remain in custody awaiting sentencing on their robbery convictions.

The San Francisco District Attorney’s office provided the B.A.R. a copy of the complaint against Mims and Decuir but did not respond to a request for comment on the case as of press time. Lorrie French and her brother’s partner, Brian Higginbotham, 65, also of San Francisco, told the B.A.R. that the DA’s office plans to prosecute the charges that ended in a mistrial.

“Frankly, it was disbelief,” Higginbotham told the B.A.R. regarding his reaction. “Let’s not forget they killed him in July, [police] caught them in August, and in two months it’ll be six long years we’ve been waiting. There’s video, there’s audio and there’s a compelling witness statement. … We’re all very upset, there’s a lot of people following this case.”

Lorrie French and Higginbotham said the defense brought in a medical expert who stated that Decuir’s sicklecell disease led her to think that “she was dreaming and didn’t realize she killed someone,” in Higginbotham’s words.

“It was laughable,” Lorrie French said. “She certainly wasn’t unconscious, as the doctor alluded to.”

Lorrie French said that the DA’s office said next time it’d bring its own medical expert to provide an alternate scenario.

Paul Demeester, Mims’ attorney, told the B.A.R. that “my client was not the one who shot Mr. French, as can be clearly seen on the video. It was Fantasy Decuir who clearly shot Mr. French on Sunday morning at Twin Peaks.” He added that Mims “may only be found guilty of felony murder – first-degree murder – if the person was a major