Squash’s Associate JMan Faces Double Murder Charge In Florida

Murder accused Jahreme ‘JMan’ Shelton, a producer who is a known associate of Dancehall artist Squash, has sought the appointment of a public defender to his case as he faces two charges of first-degree murder/premeditated murder in the United States. 

In court documents obtained by DancehallMag, Shelton has applied for ‘indigent status,’ contending that he has zero income to fund his legal defense. The application was made on October 28.

Shelton was held and charged on October 25 after forensic and video evidence allegedly placed him at the crime scene. 

According to the arrest affidavit filed in the Circuit Court of the 17th Judicial Court for Broward County, Florida the men he is accused of killing have been identified as a freelance hitman called Dwayne ‘Muscle Man’ Francis and Jeff ‘FordLawd’ Murray, who are well-known personalities in the Lauderhill community in south Florida. Both victims sustained multiple gunshots to the head and the face.

The shooting was captured on surveillance cameras.

One of the victims was sitting in a silver Infiniti while the other vehicle was standing at the passenger doorway of the car when a black sedan pulled up. 

At first, the victims were suspicious of the vehicle and one of them produced a handgun, but when he saw a male, wearing tight-fitted blue jeans and a black balaclava exit the male, he relaxed and let his guard down. The black male in the jeans greeted the victims, but after a brief conversation, three other males exited the sedan, and lit up the victims. 

The black male wearing the tight-fitted jeans is standing close to the men and he is shot and initially falls to the ground and retreats to the back of the residence, leaving a blood trail that later ties him to the crime scene. 

After the shooting, the black male wearing the tight-fitted blue jeans is observed running back to the vehicle, only pausing to pump bullets into one of the gunshot victims, the court documents said.

All of the shots came from the four individuals in the black sedan as the victims had been ambushed and unable to fire a shot to defend themselves. 

A black sedan matching the description of the car from the crime scene then dropped off a light-skinned individual wearing the same tight-fitted blue jeans at the HCA Florida Woodmont hospital, approximately six miles away.

Not knowing his connection to the case, and because he was in critical condition, officers attempted to identify him via local database fingerprints to no avail, the documents said. This male was identified by Border Patrol fingerprint scanner as Jahreme Shelton. 

“Jahreme Shelton is a Jamaican national citizen who entered the country illegally but is on parole status until he sees a judge about his status,” the arrest affidavit said. 

Investigators linked Shelton to the double murder, allegedly matching his blood to three samples retrieved from the crime scene.

Shelton was known as a principal of the violent Buss Head Gang, which is affiliated to Dancehall artist Andre Whittaker, more popularly known as Squash. The accused man’s Instagram posts from his JManMuzik account, helped to confirm his identity.

The Jamaica Gleaner reported that, on May 26, 2022, Shelton was one of two persons who survived a drive-by shooting in Jamaica at a birthday party along Marl Road.   

However, three people, including Shelton’s girlfriend Toniann Reid, aka ‘Too Fly’, of Jarrett Terrace, died.

In June 2022, Dancehall producer Linval Thompson Jr, more popularly known as Shab Don was one of two persons, who have been charged in relation to the drive-by shooting.  

He remains on remand.

Meanwhile, according to Shelton’s arrest affidavit, more arrests may be looming.  An anonymous tip stated that the double murder was gang-related and men with the aliases “Squashman, J-Man and Freeman who call themselves the G City gang” were involved. 

In late October, Squash denied reports that he was involved in gang activity and had been injured during a shoot-out.   “Uno low off ah mi name bad man,” Squash said. “Uno just leave mi alone bredda, make man live, low man make man survive bredda.”

“Stop mix up man in ah no violence and crime business bredda. Music man ah do ova yah suh bredda, strictly music man do ova yah suh band man!” he continued.

In July 2022, Squash expressed his love for Jamaica but spoke out about his discomfort with “the system”, and what he describes as “corruption” within his circle as contributing factors for him leaving the island.

“You see me now, me is not a violent man, people out there might see 6ixx boss and have me as violent, but I am a jovial person, me loving and kind, fun, mi like happiness, me nuh like sadness,” he told Onstage host Winford Williams.

“Mi cyah tek the hold down in Jamaica and corruption in my little circle, Jamaica small bad enuh, the world big and Jamaica have too much corruption in one little environment and mi cyah deal wid it,” he explained.

“Me is not a violence producer enuh Winford, a love alone mi preach to the whole a di youth dem, Salt Spring a mi place, mi love every youth, mi love everybody just the same. Mi nuh preach violence, di youths can tell you, mi never tell a youth fi go shoot this or that person,” he insisted.