Minneapolis family sues Summit County, others in 2022 murder case

SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio – A grieving Minnesota family is seeking justice following the alleged actions of an Akron man.

“I fear for many, many people who may be in danger because of a system that treats people this way,” said Janet Peterson, the mother of Ryan Peterson, who was allegedly killed by Franklin White of Akron.

On August 12, 2022, Janet learned that her son had been killed.

To make matters even more tragic, Peterson said her daughter-in-law Kassie witnessed the murder.

“She will never be fully healthy again,” Peterson said.

Now the grieving family and their attorney Peter Pattakos are demanding justice after accusing Franklin White of Akron of using a battering ram to break down the door to 32-year-old Ryan Peterson's home and brutally stabbing him to death.

“The fact that no one warned Kassie Peterson and her family that this man was at large and his whereabouts unknown was the direct cause of her husband's death,” said Pattakos of The Pattakos Law Firm, LLC.

In a new lawsuit filed in Summit County Court of Common Pleas, the family is suing Summit County, Ohio, Oriana House and Community Support Services, claiming they were responsible for monitoring White at the time.

“These organizations failed to monitor, supervise and warn of the known dangers posed by the defendant under their supervision,” Pattakos said.

The family's attorney claimed that White was at the Oriana House when he turned off his GPS tracking device and drove more than 11 hours to Minneapolis, where he killed Ryan.

“Officers arrived and identified a man inside the home who had been fatally stabbed,” Minneapolis Police Sergeant Garrett Parten said on August 12, 2022.

At the time of his escape, Pattakos said, White was under maximum judicial supervision due to pending charges after breaking into Kassie's parents' home in Akron three times in February 2022 to make contact with Kassie, his former Firestone High School classmate.

According to the lawsuit, the same month before the break-in, White sent Kassie an email with his photo apologizing for his awkwardness and saying he would like to meet with her.

The lawsuit alleged that Kassie did not respond.

Months after White broke into Kassie's parents' home, the lawsuit alleged that White violated his no-contact order by sending Kassie an electronic message in June 2022.

The lawsuit states that Kassie then reported this to the Summit County District Attorney's Office, who advised her to obtain a restraining order against White for her home in Minnesota.

“It was known that this man suffered from severe mental illness and psychosis,” Pattakos said.

News 5 reached out to Community Support Services and Oriana House, but they declined to comment.

Meanwhile, the Summit County District Attorney's Office released a statement: “Our deepest condolences go out to the family of Ryan Peterson. However, as litigation is pending against the county, we are unable to comment further.”

“We must do something to show the defendants’ responsibility towards the family that suffered,” Pattakos said.

News 5 also combed through Minnesota court records and found that White is charged with first-degree murder and could face 40 years in prison if convicted.