A Lake City teenager will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the killing of Mariah Smith.
Third Judicial Circuit Judge Leandra Johnson sentenced, now 17-year-old Jayden Burch, to life in prison for the shooting death of 12-year-old Mariah Smith. Burch was found guilty and convicted by a jury of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, according to First Coast News.
On August 24, 2023, the Lake City Police Department responded to the victim’s home on Northwest Long Street after reports of a drive-by shooting. According to authorities, earlier that day at Columbia County High School, where Smith’s brother Todrion Jenkins was involved in an altercation that resulted in being kicked off the football team and suspended for 10 days.
In an act of retribution, Burch, who was 15 years old at the time, and two other co-defendants, Jatarious Fluellen, then 14 years old, and 17-year-old Matthew Rice, went to the residence and fired 25 rounds into it.
Though Jenkins and his grandmother survived the ordeal, Smith was struck in the head while she sat on the couch. Despite life-saving measures by first responders, Smith succumbed to her wounds.
Two months later, the defendant was arrested.
During the sentencing hearing, the defendant’s aunt, Talene Lecounte, pleaded with the court to show mercy and leniency toward Burch.
“I can’t say what happened, I don’t know, but I’m just asking the court to have some leniency, please. I’m not saying he did do it, he didn’t do it, I’m just asking the court to have some leniency,” said Lecounte, reported WCJB.
Johnson sentenced Burch to an additional 30 years for the attempted murder charge and to run concurrently with the life sentence.
Rice was also convicted of the exact charges and will be sentenced on Nov. 13. Fluellen is still awaiting trial.
Leave a Reply