Jacksonville resident Tyrone Golson has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the death of his 6-year-old daughter, Jahrasha, who was found unresponsive inside a house on Allison Street in February 2024. The plea, entered this week in Duval County court, means Golson now faces a possible life sentence, with a judge expected to decide his punishment next month. The case has resurfaced in the public eye after state records showed child-welfare workers tried to check on the child before she died.
According to a press release from the Office of the State Attorney for Florida's Fourth Judicial Circuit, Golson formally admitted to second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse and now faces up to life in Florida State Prison. The release states that the Honorable Jonathan Sacks will sentence Golson at a later date in Duval County court and identifies First Assistant Jay Plotkin and Chief Assistant Adair Newman as the prosecutors on the case.
Autopsy Findings And Police Response
An autopsy and follow-up testing revealed bruising and hemorrhaging throughout Jahrasha's body consistent with blunt-force trauma, and officials found diphenhydramine, an ingredient commonly used in over-the-counter allergy medications, in her system, Action News Jax reported. Jacksonville police and first responders went to the Allison Street home on February 18, 2024, after a 911 call and took the girl to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
An arrest report reviewed by News4JAX says the Florida Department of Children and Families attempted a wellness check about a month before the child's death after receiving an anonymous tip, but Golson refused to allow DCF to inspect Jahrasha. News4JAX also found that Golson was listed as the girl's father on her birth certificate, while court records described him as her legal guardian at the time investigators interviewed him.
Charges, Plea And What Comes Next
Prosecutors initially charged Golson in 2024. With his guilty pleas now entered, the State Attorney's Office says he is exposed to a sentence of up to life in prison. The case, investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and prosecuted by First Assistant Jay Plotkin and Chief Assistant Adair Newman, will next return to Duval County court for sentencing.
Defense and prosecutors are scheduled to be back before the judge next month for a sentencing hearing, which will determine whether Golson receives the maximum penalty outlined by prosecutors. The case has also fueled renewed scrutiny of how child-welfare tips and wellness checks are handled in the Jacksonville area, as reported by News4JAX.
