On the morning of June 3, 2009, in Chesapeake, Virginia, 25-year-old Jamaica Bynum, a Black/African American mother of two, was fatally shot in her home on Creekside Crescent. Bynum was a nursing student, poised to graduate in September of that year, and also worked in the medical section of a local jail. Her life was cut short while her two children were in the home preparing for school.
The perpetrator was identified as Malik Griffin, Bynum's boyfriend and the father of her children. In the days leading up to the shooting, Griffin had reportedly been exhibiting erratic behavior. On that tragic morning, as Bynum was getting her children ready for the day, Griffin shot her. Their son, who was 12 at the time, later testified to hearing his mother say "I love you" to him and his sister, followed by a loud noise and a thud.
Following the incident, Malik Griffin was arrested and faced charges of murder and firearms offenses. During his trial, details of his history of drug convictions and marijuana use were presented. In April 2011, a jury found Griffin guilty of the murder of Jamaica Bynum. He was subsequently sentenced to 50 years in prison for the murder charge, with an additional eight years for the firearms charges. The judge presiding over the case highlighted the gravity of his actions, noting that he had taken the life of his children's mother.
