Hopkinton murder suspect found dead after chase and crash in Richmond

RICHMOND, RI (WLNE) — Rhode Island State PPolice said Sunday that 45-year-old Joseph Francis shot his wife, Stephanie, in Hopkinton late Friday night before causing a car crash in Richmond on Saturday.

Authorities said Francis was found dead in his SUV after falling down an embankment near Dawley Memorial Park while trying to escape police.

The chase began during an investigation into a home on Subtown Road in Hopkinton, where authorities say 44-year-old Stephanie Francis was shot and killed shortly before midnight on Friday.

Detectives identified Francis as the suspect and informed local authorities that there was a warrant out for his arrest for murder and domestic violence.

Officials said Westerly police saw Francis driving on Route 1 just before 11 a.m. Saturday morning and attempted to stop him before he sped away.

Shortly thereafter, Francis was seen again in Charlestown, where he led police on a chase to Richmond and crashed in a wooded area off Route 3.

A state police response team confirmed that the crime scene was safe to access, and the medical examiner and other detectives found Francis dead in his SUV.

Police said the cause of death had not yet been determined.