A West Sacramento man, Mandiko Kwadzo, has been convicted of the first-degree murder of Carliena Clayton, a mother of four children, officials announced Wednesday. The fatal incident, which took place in July 2020, has concluded with a guilty verdict after four years of investigation and legal proceedings. According to an article from ABC10, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office stated Kwadzo also faced charges for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The events unfolded on July 27, 2020, when reports of shots fired within a residence were followed by a witness's account of an altercation between Clayton and Kwadzo on a driveway, leading to both entering a vehicle with Clayton's children inside. Later, a man near Cliff's Marina reported hearing a gunshot and a car crashing into the Sacramento River, in a statement obtained by ABC10. It was initially believed to be a mere car accident until Clayton's oldest child, only six at the time, revealed that Kwadzo had shot his mother. She was found with two gunshot wounds to her head, although the weapon used remains unrecovered.
Kwadzo now faces 53 years to life in prison with sentencing scheduled for September 6, according to an announcement from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office. Their press release notes that Principal Criminal Attorney Allison Dunham, of the Homicide Unit, served as the prosecutor in this case. The trial reached its conclusion on July 24, when the jury found Kwadzo guilty of the murder and the special allegation that he used a firearm in the act.
