Jamaican Man Convicted of Double Murder in Florida, Including 1-Year-Old Left in Hot Car

Doujon Griffith, 26, was found guilty on all six counts in an Orange County court in Orlando for the 2021 killings of Massania Malcolm and her infant daughter.

Doujon Griffith Found Guilty on All Counts in Orlando Double Murder Trial

A Jamaican man has been convicted on all six counts in connection with the September 2021 killings of a young mother and her 1-year-old daughter in Florida, radiojamaicanewsonline.com reports.

Doujon Griffith, 26, was found guilty Thursday in an Orange County courtroom in Orlando. He was convicted of first-degree murder with a firearm, first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder with a firearm, and three counts of shooting at, within or into a building. Sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on November 16.

The killings

According to the State Attorney's Office, Griffith shot 20-year-old Massania Malcolm and her boyfriend, Jordane "Sinnaway" Reid, on the morning of September 7, 2021. Reid survived after being struck multiple times and was hospitalised for several months. Malcolm was killed. Her 1-year-old daughter, Jordania Reid, was left inside a vehicle in an outdoor parking lot on Lake Ellenor Drive in Orlando. The child was found dead alongside her mother's body two days later. Investigators determined she died from exposure to extreme heat inside the vehicle.

Background to the attack

Griffith, Malcolm, and Reid were all originally from Glendevon in Montego Bay, St James. Investigators said the couple had taken Griffith into their home after he became homeless. Tensions reportedly developed after Griffith allegedly failed to contribute to household expenses and was told to leave. Prosecutors said that on the morning of the killings, the couple drove him to a bus stop, at which point he opened fire on them during the trip.

Reid, who survived, later provided investigators with key details about the attack.

Arrest and extradition

Griffith fled Florida following the killings and was arrested during a traffic stop in New Jersey on March 26, 2024 — nearly three years later. Investigators noted he had altered his appearance by growing dreadlocks. He was subsequently extradited to Florida to face charges including premeditated first-degree murder.

Community impact

The killings sent shockwaves through the Jamaican community in Montego Bay. Malcolm's mother, Latoya "Budeisha" Reid, is a known figure in Montego Bay's entertainment scene and now lives in the United States.

Local police had previously stated that Griffith was involved in gang activity in Jamaica and had entered the United States illegally, though those claims were part of a separate investigation and are distinct from Thursday's convictions.

With the guilty verdict now delivered, the four-year case moves toward its conclusion at the November 16 sentencing hearing.

Source: Google News JM — Crime