An 8-year-old girl was standing in her grandmother's kitchen in Memphis, Tennessee, while dinner was being prepared when a man opened fire from the parking lot below—striking and killing her as she stood inside the apartment.
Background
Jordyn Washington was inside her grandmother's apartment on Shelbourne Circle on Nov. 22, 2020, when the shooting occurred. According to authorities, the young girl "was in the kitchen, where her grandmother was preparing dinner" at the time she was killed.
Simultaneously, a group of people had gathered in the parking lot of the same apartment complex. One individual was attempting to rekey a 2017 Chevrolet Camaro belonging to another member of the group when Cedric Conley arrived at the scene.
"The defendant was involved in a dispute" with individuals in the parking lot, and among them was "a former girlfriend," according to an affidavit of complaint obtained by Law&Crime. The argument escalated as it unfolded.
The Investigation
Conley went into a different apartment within the complex, retrieved an assault rifle, and began firing at the group below, authorities said. The grandmother preparing dinner suddenly heard gunshots and then saw her granddaughter fall to the floor with "blood coming from" her head, according to court documents.
The Memphis Police Department and first responders were called to the scene. Jordyn was pronounced dead at the apartment.
Investigators received information about the shooting from witnesses in another part of the complex who had been targeted. Conley fled the scene and was placed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's "Most Wanted" list.
About two weeks after the shooting, authorities arrested Conley in New Orleans, Louisiana, before he was extradited back to Memphis.
"The people whom Conley shot at and a witness positively identified him in a photo lineup as the person who fired the assault rifle that day," police noted.
The Conviction
Conley, now 47 years old, has been convicted by a jury of charges including reckless homicide in the death of Jordyn Washington. He was also convicted of criminal attempt at voluntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, according to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office.
The defendant was originally charged with first-degree murder in the perpetration of a felony in connection with Jordyn's death. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 24.
Key Takeaways
- Jordyn Washington, 8 years old, was killed while standing in her grandmother's kitchen as dinner was being prepared
- Cedric Conley, 47, convicted of reckless homicide and other charges stemming from the Nov. 22, 2020 shooting
- Conley fired an assault rifle at a group in the parking lot that included his ex-girlfriend, striking Jordyn inside a nearby apartment
- Authorities recovered Conley after placing him on Tennessee's 'Most Wanted' list; he was arrested in New Orleans
What's Next
Conley is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 24 in Shelby County court. The conviction marks nearly six years after the shooting that claimed the life of the young girl.