Granddaughter Charged In Murder Of Elderly Couple

Florida woman Jalisa Hill, 28, has been charged with two counts of first degree murder.

On Sept. 12, Jalisa Hill, the 28-year-old granddaughter of an elderly Florida couple, was arrested and accused of working with a man to murder her grandparents, who were found dead in March.

According to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, Major, 89, and Claudette Melvin, 85, were found dead in their Florida home on March 22. Hill has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, People reports.

She was charged just a few weeks after 30-year-old Maurice Newson was charged with the same set of charges, as well as one count of robbery with a firearm for partaking in the same crime.

In March, police were called to Major and Claudette’s home, and authorities found their car missing.

Newson was later allegedly identified as the person who sold the vehicle and dumped it at a tow yard. He was arrested and charged on May 23 with theft of a motor vehicle and dealing in stolen property. Although he pleaded not guilty to both charges and was subsequently released, he was later charged with the two counts of murder at the end of August as new evidence came to light.

Authorities have not explicitly revealed what caused them to charge both Newson and Hill but said that they “believed [Hill] worked in conjunction with Maurice Newson to murder her grandparents.”

According to the Associated Press, the Melvins had been married for 60 years and had 28 grandchildren, including Hill.

Major and Claudette’s other grandchildren have joined together to start a GoFundMe that has raised over $3,000.

The GoFundMe description reads, “Hello, I am Kesha granddaughter of Major and Claudette Melvin my grandparents were shot and killed in their home that he lived in for over 50 years.”

Kesha continued, “Their car was stolen. They didn’t take anything from out of the home and I’m asking for help i’m asking the public to help me in this time of grievance it’s been very hard my grandparents has been with me all my life and then we were separated behind someone that came in here and did a selfish act and killed a 89-year-old major and a 85-year-old Claudette my grandparents, please help.”