OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has arrested a 14-year-old boy on second-degree murder charges.
MCSO says Kydris Jackson, born January 25, 2010, has been arrested in connection with the December 2023 murder of 19-year-old Griffin Smith.
Murder
On Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023, MCSO deputies responded to reports of a possible vehicle accident in the area behind the Marion Oaks Community Center located at 294 Marion Oaks Lane in Ocala.
Deputies say upon arrival, they located 19-year-old Griffin Smith inside his white pickup truck. They soon discovered that Smith had been shot.
Smith was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Shortly after, MCSO instigated a homicide investigation to find Smith’s killer.
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After almost exactly a year to the date, MCSO detectives were able to piece the puzzle together. They determined that Smith arranged to meet with 14-year-old Kydris Jackson at the Dollar General on Marion Oaks Blvd. to purchase a firearm.
Detectives say during the interaction, Jackson began to shoot at Smith’s vehicle as he was driving away. Smith drove off, eventually stopping in the tree line behind the Marion Oaks Community Center. This is where deputies located him, along with the purchased firearm, inside of his vehicle.
On Dec. 13, 2023, detectives learned that Jackson had been arrested by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), who say Jackson fled from deputies in a stolen vehicle and was in possession of a firearm.
Detectives were able to figure out that Jackson was the main suspect through information provided by witnesses and DNA evidence.
On Nov. 14, 2024, detectives attempted to interview Jackson, who refused to provide a statement.
MCSO charged Jackson while in custody at the Marion County Regional Juvenile Detention Center, where they say he remains for now.