John Jefferson
Insets: Ashanti Downey and her alleged attacker Jami Griffin (GoFundMe/Harnett County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Dollar General that Ashanti Downey was walking to before she was set on fire (WRAL/YouTube).
A North Carolina woman’s life “was forever changed” earlier this month when she was attacked by a man who “doused” her in gasoline and set her ablaze — causing 3rd degree burns over 70% of her body — as she walked along a highway to a Dollar General, her family says. The “nightmare” unfolded just weeks before the victim’s 21st birthday, according to her mom and cops, and now they’re having to celebrate with her in the hospital.
“No parent should have to see their child in the condition my daughter is in,” Donecia Davis, mother of Ashanti Downey, wrote in a GoFundMe description. “My daughter will be celebrating her 21st birthday on January 1, 2025, and due to the hatred of an individual or individuals, her life will be forever changed,” Davis said. “She was brutally attacked by an assailant … She was doused with a flammable liquid and set on fire. She has sustained 3rd degree burns over 70 percent of her body and is now in critical condition.”
Harnett County Sheriff Wayne Coats, while speaking to local NBC affiliate WRAL, described the attack as one of the most “heinous” crimes his department has ever investigated — saying, “It’s just a nightmare for this family.”
The man allegedly responsible, Jami Griffin, 23, was taken into custody on Friday and charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and assault on a female in connection to the Dec. 16 attack, according to local jail records.
Before Griffin’s arrest, police were probing whether he set upon Downey by himself or with others, as well as his motive, which is still unclear as of Sunday. WRAL and other local media outlets have reported that cops believe Downey’s death possibly stemmed from a domestic dispute, and that she may have known Griffin. The possibility of it being part of a gang affiliation was also being investigated by police, according to Coats.
“Unfortunately, at this time, there is not much information on what transpired,” Davis says on the GoFundMe page. “Therefore, I am keeping her medical location private until I have more answers from the detective.”
Downey’s mom says her daughter was on her way to a Dollar General near Davis’ house in Sanford, walking along Highway 27 when Griffin allegedly approached her from behind and set her on fire.
“How could they do this to my baby?” Davis told WRAL in a phone interview. “You didn’t have to do this to her.”
Griffin is due in court on Monday, Dec. 30, and is being held at the Harnett County Detention Center. No bond is currently listed.
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