Two Florida teenagers will spend the rest of their lives in prison for murdering a 12-year-old girl who was sitting on a couch when they fired 25 bullets into her home after a disagreement with her brother.
Matthew Rice, 18, was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for the 2023 murder of Mariah Smith in Lake City, according to local ABC affiliate WCJB. Last month, a jury found Rice guilty of second-degree murder and two charges of attempted second-degree murder.
Jayden Burch, 17, was found guilty of the same offenses in August and sentenced to life in prison last month. A third teenager, Jatarious Rashad Fluellen, is still awaiting trial.
According to prosecutors, one of the firearms used in the murder included Rice’s DNA. According to WCJB, school authorities attempted to address Rice’s terrible behavior approximately 40 times, but it was never effective.
The state identified Burch as the ringleader.
“There is no homicide here without Jayden Burch,” assistant state attorney Sean Crisafulli told the court during his Oct. 13 sentencing. “They left Jayden Burch’s home to do what they did. And it was Jayden Burch’s feud with [Mariah’s brother] that sparked this.”
Burch showed no remorse. Crisafulli claimed that he was proud.
“Within an hour of the homicide, he is bragging on Instagram to a girl about how he did this to [Mariah],” the defense lawyer said. “And then taking further actions to then cover it up, saying that he deleted the message, et cetera, not knowing that we could still retrieve them.”
Despite the evidence against him, Burch remained obstinate.
“Honestly, did not take that young woman away from her family,” he informed me. “I understand that everything you’ve heard and seen makes me look guilty. I honestly don’t do that. I understand you want justice for [Mariah]. But you’ve got the wrong person; I’m innocent.
As previously reported by Law&Crime, Lake City police responded soon after 9 p.m. on August 24, 2023, to a report of a person shot at a home on NW Long Street. When they arrived, Mariah was suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. She was pronounced deceased by first responders on the site. According to the probable cause arrest document, investigators discovered 25 shot casings and a laser sight outside the home.
Over the following days, weeks, and months, detectives discovered evidence that the shooting was the result of a disagreement between Mariah’s older brother and the defendants. According to cops, Burch delivered the pistols to the co-defendants, who then walked to the home and fired fire before fleeing.
The first suspect apprehended was Fluellen, who was 14 years old at the time. Burch, aged 15, was arrested in October 2023. A grand jury indicted Rice in February 2024.
An Instagram chat featuring Burch was a major piece of evidence, according to WCJB’s trial report. He told someone about the shooting and reportedly included a smiley emoji. When asked if he was aware of the shooting, Burch said, “I know, I did it.”
Police also discovered Rice’s DNA on the laser sight. Jurors deliberated for less than an hour before convicting him, according to WCJB.
Following the incident, Lake City officials called the roadway where she died Mariah Reginae Smith Forever 12 Memorial roadway.
“This is history,” Mariah’s mother, Todneisha Filer, said during the dedication ceremony, according to local NBC affiliate WTLV. “For the first time in history, Lake City has done something like this. No other family should have to go through what I am going through, and I hope that we can put an end to gun violence.”
