Chesterfield man, 18, charged with killing Lyft driver, 79, who was giving the suspect a ride

An 18-year-old Chesterfield County man was charged Thursday with fatally shooting a 79-year-old Lyft driver who was giving the suspect a ride early Monday in a killing that occurred in the same block as the suspect’s home.

Bernard E. Smith, 18, of the 2900 block of Providence Creek Road, was charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the slaying of Franklin L. “Frank” Farrens, 79, who lived near Old Bermuda Hundred Road and Golf Course Road in Chester, about 20 miles away from the scene of his killing.

Chesterfield police Capt. Jay Thornton said Farrens was employed through Lyft as a driver for the ride-hailing company and Smith was his passenger. Investigators believe Farrens was fatally shot in his four-door Volkswagen between 4 and 4:30 a.m. in the 2900 block of Providence Road.

“The Lyft fare terminated in the neighborhood that we believe [the suspect] is residing in,” Thornton said.

A neighbor’s Ring doorbell camera captured an image of Farrens’ car hitting a homeowner’s mailbox about 4 a.m. before rolling across the street and into a parked car. The footage also showed a person running from the scene.

“We have looked at that, and we have used that as part of our theory of what happened,” Thornton said. “So that has been a benefit.”

“We did canvass quite a few neighbors and homes in that area, and Ring doorbell cameras and home surveillance cameras ... are very common in that area,” he added. “And we were able to develop some additional evidence that was helpful in the case.”

Police said at this point there is no indication that Farrens was killed during a robbery.

“We’re still working on a reason why all this happened,” Thornton said, adding, “We may never know.”

Smith was not charged with first-degree murder, which requires premeditation.

“The more suitable charge at this point is second-degree murder,” Thornton said.

Police received a call at 6:31 a.m. Monday reporting a car crash with injuries in the 2900 block of Providence Creek Road. The neighborhood is off Courthouse Road and south of the Powhite Parkway extension.

The crash call quickly evolved into a homicide investigation with a significant police response.

“He was just doing his job and somebody took his life,” Catherine Farrens, the victim’s wife, said in an interview Thursday.

Frank Farrens’ wife and two of his daughters — Lynn Reynolds of Vancouver, Wash., and Jessica Stephenson, who lives in the Richmond area — gathered at a restaurant in Chester to share a meal and their memories of the man they all deeply loved.

All three said they are struggling to come to terms with what happened. Catherine Farrens said her husband of 20 years was retired but he disliked staying home all day, so he began working for Uber — another popular ride-hailing company — and then Lyft about 3½ years ago. He recently received from Lyft a jacket in recognition of providing his 1,000th ride.

“He loved meeting people; he loved talking to people,” and those were also reasons why he enjoyed driving, Farrens said.

As a driver for Lyft, Farrens’ routine was to get up at 3 a.m. and take fares until about 10 a.m. Family members believe his first fare on Monday was the young man whom police have charged in his slaying.

“He had some [earlier] experiences that really scared him,” Stephenson said. On two occasions customers “got right in his face” in a threatening manner but didn’t harm him, she said.

Although concerned about how some of his customers behaved, Farrens didn’t feel compelled to carry a firearm in his car for protection, although he was a gun owner, Stephenson said.

Family members encouraged him to install a GoPro camera inside his car that could record any trouble.

The camera and the lighted Lyft sign that Farrens was required to display while working had been removed from the dashboard of his car before he was found by police, family members said. His cellphone was found smashed but his wallet was left behind, they said.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident, and our hearts are with Franklin’s family and friends during this difficult time,” Lyft spokesperson Dana Davis said in a statement. “We take all matters involving safety extremely seriously, and are working with law enforcement to assist in the investigation.”

Farrens was described as a “giver” who at times went above and beyond to assist some of his passengers.

Less than a year ago, Farrens reoriented his work schedule for about six months for a young woman with a substance-abuse problem so he could give her a ride daily to a local methadone clinic. He would stay until she finished treatment and then drive her home. The woman would always have in tow her young daughter, and Farrens would bring the girl a bag of candy.

“He would talk about the woman and little girl, [saying] she’s trying to get her life on track,” Stephenson recalled.

Family members also recalled how Farrens took under his wing an older woman with disabilities. The woman could barely get around and Farrens gave her rides on multiple occasions, sometimes at no charge, when she couldn’t afford to pay.

The woman occasionally would panhandle on the street, and Farrens and his wife would assist her with groceries, which on Thanksgiving would include turkey and ham with all the fixings.

“That’s just who he was,” Stephenson said.

Farrens, who grew up in Portland, Ore., and lived much of his life in Washington state, was a Vietnam War veteran who made a living doing a variety of things.

He owned and operated several restaurants and bars and a hair and nail salon outside of Virginia, and after experiencing some health problems, moved in 2017 from Florida to Chesterfield so Stephenson could help care for him and his wife.

Family members said Farrens also was regarded as an entrepreneur and acquired a patent he sold to an Australian company for a device he invented that could inject cows with vaccines without a needle.

But Farrens also had a silly side. “He was kind of goofy. He loved to laugh and have a good time,” Stephenson recalled.

Smith made a brief appearance Thursday in Chesterfield General District Court via a video feed from the Chesterfield Jail, where he is being held without bond.

After Judge Keith Hurley determined that Smith was indigent and couldn’t afford to hire counsel, the judge appointed defense attorney Wayne Morgan to represent him.

About a dozen of Smith’s family members were in court for the brief hearing. Smith’s preliminary hearing was set for March 2.