A California man, aged 31, has been convicted of first-degree murder and is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison. Mandiko Kwadzo was found guilty of killing his 23-year-old girlfriend, Carliena Clayton, while she was driving with her four children in the car. The incident led to the vehicle crashing into a river, and Kwadzo made no attempt to rescue the children.
The Sacramento County jury also found Kwadzo guilty of using a firearm during a felony and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The verdict was announced by the authorities following the 2020 murder of Clayton.
The West Sacramento Police Department responded to a 911 call on July 27, 2020, reporting gunshots at Clayton’s residence, where she had recently moved with her four children, aged between 2 and 6. Upon arrival, the first responders found evidence of gunfire inside the house. A witness reported seeing Clayton and Kwadzo arguing in the driveway before they both got into the car and drove away.
Later that evening, around 9:30 p.m., a man at Cliff’s Marina on the Sacramento River heard a gunshot and the sound of a car crashing into the river. He and a friend rushed to the scene and found Clayton’s car partially submerged. The man reported seeing small hands reaching out from the car, prompting him and his friend to jump in and rescue the children.
According to the witness, Kwadzo was standing near the car but did not attempt to help. When they looked into the car, they found Clayton unresponsive in the driver’s seat and her four children in the back seat. The oldest child, aged 6, had unbuckled all their seat belts, but the youngest, a 2-year-old, was still in her car seat. The two men managed to get the children to safety.
California Highway Patrol troopers were the first to arrive at the crash site. They found Clayton unresponsive and without a pulse, with severe head bleeding. Initially, authorities believed Clayton’s injuries were due to the car accident, but her 6-year-old child told the CHP that Kwadzo had shot his mother before the crash. Kwadzo was then taken into custody.
An autopsy later revealed that Clayton had suffered two gunshot wounds to the head. The murder weapon was never found. Kwadzo is set to appear in court for his sentencing hearing on the morning of Sept. 6 before Judge Kenneth Brody. He faces a maximum sentence of 53 years to life in a state correctional facility.