Duval County Jury Finds Mixson Guilty of Murdering Two Young Men

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Darien Mixson guilty of two counts of First-Degree Murder, Armed Burglary, and Grand Theft Auto. With the verdict, Mixson faces a minimum of 40 years up to life in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Tatiana Salvador will sentence Mixson at a later date.

In the early morning hours of March 1, 2023, 17-year-old Mixson was inside the victims’ apartment, and after waiting for them to fall asleep, Mixson armed himself and then shot and killed both victims. Mixson then stole car keys from one of the victims along with four firearms that were in the apartment.  Mixson left the apartment and stole the vehicle parked outside. During the crime, the mother of one of the victims as well as her boyfriend and their small child, were asleep in the master bedroom of the apartment. Awakened by the gunshots, the woman grabbed her child and was about to jump out the bedroom window to safety. However, as she looked out the window, she saw Mixson get into her boyfriend’s car and drive off. Her boyfriend called 911 and told police that the suspect was in his vehicle and he could track the vehicle using his cellphone. Using this information, officers were able to quickly locate the stolen vehicle and stop it. Mixson attempted to run from the officers but was quickly arrested with the assistance of a K9 unit. Inside the stolen vehicle, detectives recovered four stolen firearms, including the murder weapon. Outside the car, detectives discovered blood smears on the driver’s door handle, which matched one of the victims. Blood from one of the victims was also found on Mixson’s shoe and hoodie. Evidence from the victims’ cellphones revealed Mixson communicated with one of the victims before the murder; during that communication, Mixson said he needed a firearm.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Joel Cooper and Katherina Brown.