Five months of pain - Mother grieves daughter’s murder, death of granddaughter in US

Latoya Reid says that she died on September 7, 2021 when her only child Massania 'Carla' Malcolm and her granddaughter Jordania were tragically taken from her.

Malcolm, 20, was found shot dead in a car in a parking lot two days after she went missing. Little Jordania, one, died from heat exposure.

"I am lonely and heartbroken. It has been the most difficult and depressing time of my life. I am usually a very happy and outgoing person but I am not like that anymore," Reid said.

Malcolm's babyfather was also shot but survived. There is a US$15,000 reward for the capture of Doujon Griffiths, 21, who the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Florida have labelled as a suspect.

Reid, 35, said that she and Malcolm migrated to Florida from Green Pond in St James in 2016. Malcolm gave birth to Jordania in 2020. She said Malcolm lived with her in Miami before settling with her babyfather Jordan in Orlando last March. Reid said that Griffiths had come from Jamaica to live with Malcolm and Jordan less than a month before the horrific incident. She said they were having issues with Griffiths and had asked that he moved out of their apartment.

"Jordan told me that they were about to take Griffiths to the bus station and, as he was about to drive off, he felt a shot in his side. He said my daughter were so frightened that she sat screaming and the guy just shot her in the face with the baby in her arms," she said. Malcolm had plans of joining the US army and then later becoming a registered nurse.

"I was really protective of Carla and the baby, to the point where I didn't let Carla work because I didn't want the baby to go to daycare in COVID time. I would call my daughter like seven or eight times daily to check on them. I had Carla when I was 14 years old and I don't think I was the best parent. So I intended to give my granddaughter what I did not get to give my daughter," she told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Reid said that, on the fateful day, she called Malcolm more than 30 times without answer and knew that something was wrong. She later called 911 but the responder referred her to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

"I was heading to work when I got a call from the police who told me that they went over to the apartment and there was a shooting and Jordan got shot but they didn't know where Carla and the baby were. My heart sank and I fell in the parking lot and just started to holler," she said. Reid and a cousin visited Jordan in hospital. He had been shot several times in the chest and once to the head. Reid visited several other hospitals trying to find Malcolm and Jordania. She finally reached out to Fox News, as she did not believe the police were doing enough.

But police and the car dealership had tracked Malcolm's car close by. A heartbroken Reid had passed the vehicle several times without knowing that her angels were inside. Because of the state of the bodies, Reid had to have a closed-casket funeral. A tearful Reid said that, whether Griffiths is caught or not, nothing will bring back her babies.

"I want him to be caught alive because I know he is not alone and I want all those who are involved to be brought to justice. My daughter wanted to live and she said her biggest fear was dying leave her daughter. But she died with her daughter. It is really hard," Reid said. "He took away everything from me."