Two high school students who were involved in planning and executing the brutal murder of a fellow classmate in Broward County in 2021 have been sentenced to 25 years in prison. They pleaded guilty to their role in the killing.
Christie Parisien and Jaslyn Smith received their sentences on Thursday. The Broward State Attorney’s Office stated that they pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree murder, evidence tampering, and conspiracy to commit murder.
Parisien, who is now 20, and Smith, who is now 19, were involved in a plot with Andre Clements to murder their fellow classmate, 18-year-old Dwight “DJ” Grant. The motive behind this sinister plan was Clements’ belief that Grant had been involved with his former girlfriend.
Grant went missing on October 17, 2021, and his body was discovered two days later concealed in some bushes at the Miramar apartment complex where he resided.
The Miramar community was shocked when surveillance footage captured the brutal murder.
Clements, who is currently 20 years old, is still facing charges for first-degree murder, evidence tampering, and conspiracy to commit murder in relation to Grant’s killing. Despite the charges, he maintains his plea of not guilty.
Clements’ attorneys made a move last year to have the case against him dismissed based on a technicality. They argued that the prosecutors had not properly charged him because the indictment only mentioned Clements’ name in the caption and not in the description below, as required by law.
Clements’ case is currently awaiting a verdict.
Grant’s step-father, Patrick, expressed the profound pain and anguish that a mother feels when she witnesses her child’s suffering. He emphasized the importance of his role in supporting her through life’s challenges. In a statement released on Friday, Patrick acknowledged that justice had been served, although he acknowledged that the memory of the incident would never fade, nor would forgiveness be easily granted. He firmly believed in the principle that no act of injustice should go unpunished, particularly considering the ruthlessness and barbarity displayed by the perpetrators, despite their young age.