Jury deliberations began Wednesday in the case of three men charged with the murder of rap star XXXTentacion during a 2018 robbery outside a motorcycle shop in Fort Lauderdale.
Michael Boatwright, Dedrick Williams and Trayvon Newsome are charged with first-degree murder and face life in prison if convicted, as prosecutors are not asking for the death penalty in the case.
Boatwright, 28, and Newsome, 24, are accused of being the gunmen who allegedly shot the rapper, while Williams, 26, is accused of being the alleged driver.
The trial which began in February concluded with closing statements on Wednesday after the jury began deliberations in the murder case of XXXTentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy.
THE DEATH OF THE SINGER
Rising rap star XXXTentacion, who has reportedly drawn criticism for his behavior and multiple arrests, had just left Riva Motorsports with a friend on June 18, 2018, when his BMW was blocked by an SUV from which two armed men emerged. masked men shot the 20-year-old singer.
They then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag containing $50,000 in cash that the rapper had just withdrawn from the bank and fled in the van. While surveillance footage shows the rapper’s friend, Leonard Kerr, fleeing the car unharmed. In his testimony, he pointed out – on the day the trial opened – that they were ambushed by armed robbers then he fled in fear and heard the gunshots that killed his friend .
Boatwright, Newsome, Williams and a fourth suspect, Robert Allan, were arrested after the murder. The latter pleaded guilty to second degree murder and testified last year against his friends.
The defendants, who are also linked to the shooting due to the location of the cellphones, posted images on social media showing money on the same evening as the murder.