Two young women pleaded guilty and were sentenced on Thursday for their involvement in the murder of a teenager, which stemmed from a romantic dispute, as the lead defendant faces trial. Christie Parisien, 20, and Jaslyn Smith, 19, have been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
As mentioned earlier, authorities in Broward County, Florida, stated that Parisien, then 17, was responsible for calling and enticing the victim, Dwight “DJ” Grant, 18, to a stairwell in their apartment complex. According to authorities, Smith and the lead defendant, Andre Clements, 17, launched a surprise attack on him, which lasted for 31 minutes.
According to reports, Clements reportedly made a chilling statement before swiftly attacking Grant with a sword, fatally injuring him.
According to the police, Grant instructed him to bring it to a close. It is reported that Clements used a sword to stab him in the chest. According to authorities, the victim’s body was transported by three teenagers and disposed of over a railing approximately 30 feet away from his apartment.
“It’s horrifying, and he was such a good child” a neighbor told Fox Miami affiliate WSVN in 2021. “His mother loved him. I can’t even think something could happen like that. It’s terrifying.”
According to authorities, the reason behind the murder was that Grant had been involved with Clements’ former partner. In response, Clements, who is now 20 years old, enlisted the assistance of Parisien, who in turn recruited Smith.
The young woman admitted to tampering with evidence and conspiring to commit murder. They also confessed to second-degree murder, a lesser charge compared to the initial accusation of first-degree murder.
“I’ll never have a grandchild,” Grant’s mother, Madge Emile, said in court, according to WSVN. “All I could think of is that day, the way my son is. I will never see him grow up, how old he would be. We always had this tradition that, when we were going to bed, he would say, ‘Good night, Mom.’ I would say, ‘Good night, see you in the morning, I love you.’ I’ll never hear my son say he loves me.”
The trial for Clements, charged with first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree, is scheduled to commence on Jan. 13.
