A 24-year-old man was formally indicted by an Orange County grand jury this week in connection with the 2021 murders of a young mother and her 1-year-old daughter.
On Wednesday, May 22, Doujon Duwayne Griffiths was indicted for 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.
Two months earlier, Griffiths was arrested in New Jersey after police officers conducted a traffic stop on his vehicle and discovered that he had outstanding first-degree murder warrants out of Orange County. He was then extradited to Florida to face murder charges for the deaths of 20-year-old Massania Malcolm and her 1-year-old daughter, Jordania.
On September 7, 2021, at around 5 a.m., Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the 1900 block of Lake Heritage Circle in reference to shots being fired. Upon arrival, they found a man in his 20s who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
According to OCSO, the male victim was only able to tell deputies that he was shot by a “friend.” He was transported to a local hospital and rushed into surgery.
On the morning of September 9, 2021, a family member of the male victim contacted law enforcement and advised that they had been unable to reach the victim’s girlfriend and infant daughter.
OCSO deputies responded back to Lake Heritage Circle and made entry into the couple’s apartment, but no one was home. The sheriff’s office stated that there were no signs of foul play.
The male shooting victim soon regained consciousness at the hospital and told detectives that he had been in a car with his girlfriend, Malcolm, his infant daughter, Jordania, and a friend who was later identified as Griffiths.
The victim advised that while in the vehicle, he was shot by Griffiths, and he stated that his girlfriend may have been shot as well, according to the sheriff’s office.
The victim further stated that Griffiths proceeded to drive away in the car with his girlfriend and infant daughter still inside.
Shorty after 2 p.m. on September 9, 2021, OCSO detectives located the car in question in a parking lot on Lake Ellenor Drive. Inside the vehicle, they found the bodies of Malcolm and Jordania.
Two first-degree murder warrants were soon issued for Griffiths’ arrest in connection with the deaths of Malcolm and Jordania. In addition, a third warrant was issued for the attempted murder of the male victim, who was Malcolm’s boyfriend and Jordania’s father.
“No matter how many years have passed, we never forget our victims,” stated the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in a media release on March 26, 2024. The sheriff’s office added that it hopes Griffiths’ arrest “brings some sense of peace and closure to our community and the two families shattered by this horribly tragic case.”
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.