FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – A Florida woman is accused of paying her ex-boyfriend $1,000 to help her murder her grandparents, both in their 80s, according to local authorities.
Jalisa Hill, 34, pleaded not guilty to the charges in Broward County court on Friday. Court documents indicate she faces charges of murder. Her ex-boyfriend, Maurice Newson, is also implicated on multiple charges, including murder, robbery, obstruction, car theft, and dealing in stolen property.
The couple, Major and Claudette Melvin, were found shot to death in their residence on March 22. According to the police affidavit, their vehicle, a red 2014 Ford Fusion, was missing from the scene. Investigators noted that the keys, typically stored on a hook in the kitchen, were also absent.
Surveillance footage from a neighboring home showed the car leaving the property around 4 a.m. on the same day the Melvins were found dead, hours before the killings occurred. Hill, the granddaughter, resided at the Melvins’ home along with another unidentified relative who discovered the bodies later that evening.
Hill initially told police that she had left the residence on March 21 to stay with her boyfriend and only returned upon learning of her grandparents’ deaths the following day. However, during an interview in April, Hill revealed that she stood to inherit the home once her grandparents passed away. Notes uncovered by investigators suggested she had already started planning renovations.
Shortly after the murders, Hill filed an insurance claim for the stolen car but provided misleading information to the insurance company, stating the vehicle was taken on April 5, not March 22. Hill also omitted the fact of her grandparents’ deaths, suggesting her grandmother was “too old” to handle the claim.
The investigation revealed that Newson sold the stolen car for $200 to a towing company owner on the evening of March 22. Newson, who had financial struggles after losing his job with Spirit Airlines in December 2023, reportedly received $1,000 from Hill through a third party and mobile payment apps.
Contradictions in Hill’s statements to the police were highlighted by investigators, particularly after a polygraph test indicated deception on questions regarding her involvement in the murders. Subsequently, Hill was arrested, and both she and Newson remain in custody.
Dennis Parker, the son of the deceased couple, expressed disbelief at Hill’s alleged involvement but emphasized his desire for justice.
“At the end of the day, Jalisa is my niece, and I can’t really see her being involved in anything like that, but the law speaks for itself,” Parker said. “If you had anything to do with it, I want you to rot in hell.”
