(Marion County, FL) Today, the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office announces the guilty verdict of 16-year-old Kydris Jackson for the 2023 murder of 19-year-old Griffin Smith. Jackson was found guilty of Second-degree Murder with a Firearm.
The investigation began on December 2, 2023, when the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) received a call around 3 p.m. about a possible shooting. The caller indicated they observed a white Dodge Ram pickup truck riddled with bullet holes drive off the road and into a bush, where it came to a final stop. When bystanders went to check on the occupants of the pickup truck, they only observed a driver inside with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso. The driver, identified as Griffin Smith, was transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Inside the vehicle, law enforcement located two firearms, one a Sig Sauer handgun and another a Glock semi-automatic. MCSO Major Crimes Detective Daniel Pinder responded to the scene, where his investigation further revealed that several other witnesses had heard a series of gunshots in the area. A witness on scene told officials that the victim had called him on the phone when the victim could be heard arguing over money sent via Cash App with an unknown individual before the shooting occurred.
Detective Pinder further uncovered text message records between the victim and Jackson discussing the sale of a Glock handgun on the day of the victim’s death. Surveillance footage from the businesses, cellphone records, and witness accounts corroborated that Jackson had arranged for a ride, meeting the victim at the Dollar General off Marion Oaks Boulevard, before an argument over money ensued, and the defendant repeatedly shot at the victim.
Contact was then made with the defendant in Alachua County. Jackson denied knowing the victim and setting up the sale of the Glock firearm. On July 22, 2024, Detective Pinder received confirmation from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that a positive match of DNA from Jackson was located on the Glock firearm.
Assistant State Attorneys Amy Berndt and Toby Hunt prosecuted this case.
Published on 03/06/2026.