Nearly six years after eight-year-old Jordyn Washington was killed inside her grandmother’s Memphis, Tennessee, apartment, a Shelby County jury convicted the man prosecutors said opened fire during an argument in the parking lot below.
On Aug. 22, 2026, jurors found Cedric Conley guilty of reckless homicide in Jordyn’s death, along with attempted voluntary manslaughter, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, according to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.
The verdict came years after prosecutors originally pursued a first-degree murder charge.
Our Black Girls is an independent, reader-supported publication. If you believe in amplifying the stories of missing Black women and girls, please consider making a direct gift through PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee, or by subscribing here.
Jordyn Was Waiting For Dinner With Her Grandmother
On Nov. 22, 2020, Jordyn was spending time with her grandmother, Sammie Washington, at the Highland Chateau Apartments in the 5200 block of Shelbourne Circle in Memphis’ Raleigh neighborhood.
Jordyn had been excited to meet her aunt’s puppy and was standing near her grandmother in the kitchen as dinner was being prepared. Sammie later told Action News 5 that Jordyn was beside her near the refrigerator when they suddenly heard gunfire. Jordyn fell to the floor after being struck in the head.
Outside, Conley had become involved in a dispute with several people, including a former girlfriend. The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office said witnesses saw him retrieve an assault-style rifle and begin firing toward the group. One of those rounds entered the apartment where Jordyn stood with her grandmother.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Jordyn’s aunt, Ivy Houston, remembered her to Action News 5 as intelligent and outspoken, calling her an “old soul” who never met a stranger. Her grandmother described her as a bright light.
Her father, Jasen Washington, had returned to Memphis after his daughter’s killing and told the station he struggled with not having been there to protect her.
Conley Was Arrested In New Orleans
Police identified Conley as a suspect within days of Jordyn’s death. He was eventually placed on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Most Wanted list before authorities arrested him in New Orleans approximately two weeks after the shooting. He was extradited to Memphis, according to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.
A Shelby County grand jury later indicted Conley in March 2021 on first-degree murder in the perpetration of a felony and multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Jordyn’s parents also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Highland Chateau and its management company. A 2025 federal court order noted allegations that the apartment complex had experienced dozens of reported criminal incidents in the years before Jordyn’s death and that no security officers were on the property when she was killed.
Jury Convicts Conley Of Reckless Homicide
When the criminal case finally reached a verdict in August 2026, jurors did not convict Conley of the first-degree murder charge originally brought against him. Instead, he was found guilty of reckless homicide and the additional firearm and attempted manslaughter offenses.
The conviction answers who the jury held criminally responsible for the gunfire that entered Jordyn’s grandmother’s home. It does not restore the ordinary November evening her family described before the shooting, when an eight-year-old was excited about a puppy and waiting for dinner.
Please share Jordyn Washington’s story so her life remains at the center of the case that took nearly six years to reach a conviction. She is our sister, and her life matters.
Join the Our Black Girls conversations on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. Stay updated on the latest cases, developments, messages from survivors, and much more.