A Duval County jury has convicted 22-year-old Di’Joure Renfrow in a 2023 murder-for-hire shooting that riddled a Jacksonville home with bullets yet somehow left everyone inside unharmed. The guilty verdict caps a multi-year investigation and now leaves Renfrow staring down years in Florida state prison.
What jurors heard
Prosecutors told jurors the violence started with a dispute over an unpaid sexual transaction. Hours after co-defendant Shankia Ellington allegedly sent death threats, gunfire erupted at the victim’s Jacksonville residence. According to the Office of the State Attorney for Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, Renfrow fired 17 rounds into the home on May 19, 2023, while the victim and three others, including a child, were inside. No one was struck.
How investigators say it unfolded
Detectives say Ellington later admitted she paid Renfrow $1,000 to carry out the killing and that Renfrow texted her after the barrage of bullets to confirm the job was done and demand his money. As reported by the Tampa Free Press, that confession became a crucial turning point in the case.
Forensics linked the gun to Renfrow
Officers with the Community Problem Response Unit arrested Renfrow on July 14, 2023, and recovered a firearm from his possessions. The State Attorney’s Office says forensic analysts matched that gun to shell casings found at the scene and reported that Renfrow’s DNA was on the weapon.
Legal outlook
The jury returned guilty verdicts for Attempted Second-Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder, charges that together carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years in Florida state prison. Per the Tampa Free Press, the Honorable London Kite will set a sentencing date. Prosecutors Katherina Brown and Brittany Johnson handled the case, while co-defendant Shankia Ellington pleaded guilty to related charges in April 2025.
Why it matters
The conviction highlights how ballistics, DNA and digital evidence can knit together what starts as a neighborhood dispute into a prosecutable murder-for-hire case tied to an alleged gang associate. For Jacksonville families, it is a stark reminder that even a failed hit can leave lasting scars on victims and the wider community.
