Insets, left to right: Jayden Burch (Lake City police) and Mariah Smith (Combs Funeral Home). Background: Matthew Rice during his trial for Mariah’s death in Lake City, Florida (WCJB).
A second Florida teen out of three was convicted for the murder of a 12-year-old girl, who was fatally shot while sitting on her couch. The suspects had fired more than 20 bullets into the home due to a conflict with her brother from school.
Matthew Rice, now 18, was found guilty of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder in connection with Mariah Smith’s death in Lake City. Earlier, a jury had found 17-year-old Jayden Burch guilty of identical charges in August. The trial for the third teenager, Jatarious Rashad Fluellen, is still pending.
Lake City police arrived shortly after 9 p.m. on Aug. 24, 2023, at a residence on NW Long Street following a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found Mariah with a gunshot wound to her head. She was declared dead at the scene by first responders. An investigation revealed 25 shell casings and a laser sight outside the house, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit.
In the days, weeks, and months that followed, detectives gathered evidence suggesting the shooting stemmed from a dispute between Mariah’s older brother and the suspects. Authorities stated that Burch provided the firearms to the co-defendants, who then proceeded to the house, fired shots, and fled.
Fluellen, who was 14 at the time of the incident, was the first to be arrested. Burch, 15 at the time, was apprehended in October 2023. Rice was indicted by a grand jury in February 2024.
A key piece of evidence was an Instagram conversation involving Burch, according to a courtroom report from local ABC affiliate WCJB. He mentioned the shooting to someone which reportedly included a smiling emoji. When the person asked if Burch was aware of the shooting, he responded “I know, I did it.”
Cops also found Rice’s DNA on the laser sight. Jurors deliberated for less than an hour to convict him, per WCJB.
Burch is slated to be sentenced on Monday while Rice will hear his fate on Nov. 13.
After the shooting, Lake City officials renamed the street on which she killed Mariah Reginae Smith Forever 12 Memorial Street.
“This is history,” Mariah’s mother Todneisha Filer said at the dedication ceremony, according to local NBC affiliate WTLV. “This is the first time in history Lake City has ever done anything like this. No other family should have to go through what I’m going through and I’m praying that we can stop the gun violence.”
