A Florida woman has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for the murder of her Jamaican husband following a heated domestic dispute at their Coral Springs home last year.
Denise Nicole Malcolm, 46, pleaded guilty last week week to one count of second-degree murder with a firearm, according to court records. She was sentenced to 21 years behind bars, with 285 days credited for time already served in pretrial detention.
Her husband, 52-year-old Rohan Noel Malcolm — a former employee of the Jamaica Observer — was fatally shot multiple times at their home on Northwest 43rd Street on August 31, 2024. The incident occurred after he returned from grocery shopping for a planned Labor Day barbecue.
According to an arrest report from the Coral Springs Police Department, Malcolm told investigators she no longer trusted her husband and had grown frustrated over what she described as years of lies and infidelity. The final argument erupted after Rohan told her he was going to Port Saint Lucie with friends, which she interpreted as a cover for seeing another woman.
The couple, who reportedly slept in separate bedrooms, had a history of volatile confrontations. On the day of the shooting, a nearly hourlong argument ended in gunfire.
Their then-14-year-old son, who had been listening to music in another room, told police he heard “two or three loud bangs” around 6:30 p.m. When he ran to his parents’ bedroom, he saw his father wounded and his mother holding a handgun. He immediately called 911.
When police arrived at the scene minutes later, they instructed the family to exit the home. Two teenage boys emerged, but not the adults. Shortly afterward, another gunshot was heard from inside the house — believed to be the final shot that took Rohan Malcolm’s life.
Malcolm later told officers she had contemplated suicide but claimed her husband “said something to her” in that moment that prompted her to fire the final shot instead. Afterward, she placed the semi-automatic handgun on a dresser and surrendered.
Officers entered the home and found the victim lying on his back with multiple gunshot wounds and blood pooling beneath him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The couple’s son later told investigators that his parents were effectively estranged and often argued about his father’s alleged involvement with other women.
In a now-closed GoFundMe created to help cover funeral costs, one of Rohan Malcolm’s friends described him as “a beacon of light, known for his kindness, laughter, and unwavering support for others.”
As part of her plea agreement, Denise Malcolm must also pay $23,500 in restitution, with additional amounts to be determined for the guardian of her children.
