JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A woman who knew a 6-year-old girl who died in the Woodstock neighborhood earlier this year spoke with News4JAX after learning a man has been charged with her murder.
Jahrasha Golson, 6, was found dead on a bed inside a house on Allison Street in February.
RELATED | Investigators trying to figure out how little girl died overnight in Woodstock
On Thursday, police announced that her legal guardian, Tyrone Golson, 60, was charged with her murder.
“For her to die like this, it was senseless,” a woman, who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the case, said.
The woman said she had known Jahrasha for the last three years, as she used to play with her kids and several others in the neighborhood.
“She was happy, playing just like a normal kid, but as soon as she would see Tyrone, her entire expression would change and none of us could ever figure out why,” she said.
A medical examiner said Jahrasha died of multiple blunt force traumas and poisoning from a drug found in over-the-counter allergy medicines.
“That little girl did not deserve this. She really did not,” the woman said. “I was very upset and shocked.”
According to the arrest report, officers found Jahrasha unresponsive in a bed.
Sheriff T.K. Waters said investigations in these cases, especially when a child is the victim, have unique challenges.
“We hate to see that kind of stuff. The next thing after it has happened is to make the best case possible and make sure that we document the information as thoroughly as possible so that we can bring the individual who is responsible for that to justice,” Waters said. “You have to stay focused to execute your job. If you get too emotional, you are more likely to make a mistake or do something that could mess up the case.”
Golson’s arrest report also said the Department of Children and Families tried to do a wellness check on Jahrasha in January after it got an anonymous call that he was possibly abusing her.
The report said Golson did not allow DCF to visibly inspect Jahrasha for any physical, mental or emotional injuries.
DCF also said there was already an open investigation into the household before Jahrasha died.
“I am hoping that this will bring DCF eyes open to not allow a parent to say you cannot see my child. They had other options. They could have gotten a court order. They could’ve gotten a police officer to come to the door. Had they done that, this little girl would still be alive,” the woman said.
Golson was arrested a few days after Jahrasha’s death, in connection with an unrelated case, and has been in jail ever since.
In that other case, he’s charged with unlawful sex with a minor, online soliciting and possession of child pornography.