A man has been sentenced in connection with a fatal sword attack in Florida that claimed the life of a teenager in 2021.
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Andre Clements was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Feb. 18, according to Local 10. Following his prison term, he will also serve a lifetime of probation.
Clements, now 20, has pleaded guilty to murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and evidence tampering in connection with the 2021 killing of 18-year-old Dwight “DJ” Grant—a crime that sent shockwaves through the Miramar, Florida, community.
The victim’s mother reportedly spoke in court. She said her family supports the resolution and wants to avoid the extra trauma of a trial.
#Update “I miss my son dearly.”Mother appeals to judge at sentencing in 2021 #Miramar murder. Andre Clements pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 40 years for killing Dwight Grant and hiding his body. Dwight was 18 years old, seen here with his mom @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/ls2YPApTzd
— Marissa Bagg (@MarissaNBC6) February 18, 2025
In August 2024, Christie Parisien and Jaslyn Smith, two female classmates of Clements and Grant, were also sentenced to 25 years in prison for the crime, per Local 10.
Clements sought to kill Grant, his classmate at Miramar High School, reportedly because Grant had started dating Clements’ ex-girlfriend. Consumed by jealousy, Clements appeared to see Grant as a romantic rival.
The Three Convicted Suspects Lured the Victim to an Apartment’s Stairwell for the Fatal Sword Attack
Grant, a senior, vanished on October 17, 2021, after being lured from his apartment into an empty stairwell by three teenagers, aged 16 and 17 at the time. According to interrogation footage cited by Local 12, Parisien and Smith stated that Clements had claimed his intention was merely to fight Grant—not to kill him.
One of the female accomplices allegedly restrained Grant. Meanwhile, Clements carried out the attack, as the other kept watch for witnesses. Afterward, the three teens reportedly worked together to dispose of the evidence.
Two days later, Grant’s body was discovered hidden behind bushes at the residential complex where he lived. According to Local 10, he had sustained both a sword wound and a knife wound.
Surveillance footage reportedly captured the murder, further supported by incriminating text messages linked to Grant’s three classmates.
The high school students were all tried as adults in court.