Jamaican music producer Jahreme “J-Man” Shelton faces a further wait to answer double-murder charges in Florida, with his trial postponed until April 2027 following a scheduling conflict raised by his public defender.
Shelton, an associate of dancehall artiste Squash, is accused of first-degree murder in the October 19, 2022 shooting deaths of Dwayne “Muscle Man” Francis and Jeff “FordLawd” Murray outside a condominium complex in Lauderhill.
He has pleaded not guilty and remains held without bond at Broward County Main Jail.
Previously scheduled for November 2026, the case is now listed for a pre-trial hearing on April 2, 2027, with jury proceedings expected to begin on April 5.
US investigators allege that multiple gunmen emerged from a black sedan and ambushed the victims in a parking lot.
Prosecutors say surveillance footage placed Shelton at the scene and that blood recovered there matched his DNA. According to the authorities’ account, Shelton suffered a gunshot wound to the neck during the exchange and fled, leaving a blood trail.
A vehicle matching the sedan’s description subsequently dropped him at a hospital in critical condition, investigators allege. He was identified through fingerprints.
Investigators have linked the killings to a feud originating in Salt Spring, St James, between the G-City/Buss Head and Waltham Bad Breed gangs. They also explored whether the attack was retaliation for an earlier attempt on Squash’s life. Those claims form part of the investigation and have not been established by a verdict against Shelton.
The producer is also a surviving eyewitness to a separate triple homicide in St James in May 2022. Jamaican prosecutors have sought his testimony in that case.
