Granddaughter of elderly couple killed inside their Fort Lauderdale home arrested, charged with first-degree murder
Jalisa Hill
By Gail Levy, Kathleen Ditton, Rubén Rosario, Alex Browning
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (WSVN) — The granddaughter of Major and Claudette Melvin was arrested in connection with the March murders of the elderly couple at their Fort Lauderdale home, according to police.
7News cameras captured Jalisa Hill in handcuffs as she was walked into the Broward County Jail, late Thursday afternoon. She faces two counts of first-degree murder.
The 38-year-old’s arrest comes after Maurice Newson, her ex-boyfriend, was previously charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the fatal shootings.
The Melvins were found shot and killed inside their home near Southwest 30th Terrace and Seventh Street on March 22.
“We’re very angry. We’re still trying to wrap our minds about how can we, who would, who did, why?” said Kim Hill, the couple’s daughter and Jalisa’s mother, when she spoke to 7News in April.
Newson had been linked to the theft of the Melvins’ 2014 red Ford Fusion. The 30-year-old was taken into custody in May and charged with the murders in July.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed a dark-colored sedan at the Melvins’ home around the time of their deaths, with the driver later stealing the vehicle.
Newson was identified through cellphone records and by a tow truck driver in Wilton Manors who purchased the stolen car for $200 in late August, detectives said.
Police brought Jalisa in for questioning at part of their investigation. She said she was living with her grandparents at the time.
Officers had Jalisa take a polygraph test, and they said they found her answers to be untruthful on the question of whether or not she was involved in the deaths of her grandparents.
Police said they arrested her because “it is believed she worked in conjunction with Maurice Newson to murder her grandparents.”
An arrest affidavit for Newson states that Jalisa believed she would get her grandparents’ house when they passed away. It also states police found renovation plans in Jalisa’s room, and she had no explanation when asked why she had them.
Detectives said this homicide case is now closed with Jalisa and Newson behind bars.
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