QuaSean Trotter (20), Ariyan Johnson (19), and their daughter Arielle (11 mos) were killed inside a Jacksonville, Florida home on December 12th, 2017. Their murders remain unsolved to this day. QuaSean and Ariyan met and began dating while they were in high school. After they graduated, Ariyan got pregnant. Both were excited about being new parents, as they both had always wanted families of their own. QuaSean and Ariyan were described as loving parents, and their daughter Arielle was a happy little girl.
Police were called to the residence where they were staying on the evening of December 12th after neighbors noticed that the house was on fire. Once first responders arrived on the scene, they found QuaSean, Ariyan, and Arielle deceased. QuaSean and Ariyan had been shot to death. It appears that after QuaSean and Ariyan were shot, the killer(s) set fire to a Christmas tree inside the house. The fire inevitably spread and caused damage throughout the home. It was the fire that killed little Arielle; her autopsy confirmed that she died of smoke inhalation. It is believed that the fire was set in an attempt to cover up the crime. No suspects have been publicly named in the case. It does not appear that QuaSean or Ariyan had any known enemies--and a motive for their murders remains unclear. Loved ones of the three murder victims are hoping for justice, but they have grown increasingly discouraged by the progress of the investigation. A 2019 article about the case states that QuaSean's mother used to frequently call detectives, but she eventually stopped after it became too difficult to keep calling and not get any new information. Family members now wait for detectives to call them--but it appears that updates in the case have been far and few in between. There is a monetary reward for anyone with information that could lead to the killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact First Coast Crime Stoppers at (866) 845-TIPS.
