Shooting suspect Michael Boatwright walks back into the courtroom gallery from the defense table before the start of day two of closing arguments in the XXXTentacion murder trial at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, in Florida on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Jury deliberations began on Wednesday in the trial of three men accused of murdering rising rap star XXXTentacion during a 2018 robbery outside a Florida motorcycle shop after the alleged gunman’s attorney argued that DNA tests prove that his client and another man are innocent.

Attorney Joseph Kimok presented closing argument in the trial of three men accused of first degree murdertelling the jury that if the artist fought with his killers before he was shot and DNA was found on the body and on a stolen necklace, it was not his client’s, Michel Boatwright, 28 years old. Nor was it the second shooter charged. Trayvon Newsome, 24or the accused hit and run driver and ringleader Derick Williams, 26 years old.

“He Who Fought (XXXTentacion) Isn’t In This Courtroom”Kimok told the jury as the four-week trial drew to a close. “DNA proves someone not named Michael Boatwright or Trayvon Newsome was involved in this murder.”

The alleged accomplice in the shooting, Trayvon Newsome, is shown seated at the defense table before the start of the second day of closing arguments in the XXXTentacion murder trial. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)
The alleged accomplice in the shooting, Trayvon Newsome, is shown seated at the defense table before the start of the second day of closing arguments in the XXXTentacion murder trial. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

A fourth man, Robert Allen, pleaded guilty last year to second degree murder and testified against his former friends. Lawyers for the three men say he is lying about his clients’ involvement in the murder and the robbery, which netted $50,000. They also say Broward County Sheriff’s Detectives botched the investigation by ignoring other possible suspects, including Canadian rap star Drake, with whom XXXTentacion had an online feud.

Lead prosecutor Pascale Achille, in her rebuttal on Wednesday, admitted that Allen was not a perfect witness, having previously been convicted of felonies, but that co-conspirators in murders rarely are.

“The plans hatched in hell have no angels as witnesses,” he said.

Alleged filming partner Dedrick Williams is sworn to testify as to who he saw in the hallway when he and his alleged filming partner Trayvon Newsome were ushered into the courtroom through the main entrance as they were chained. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)
Alleged filming partner Dedrick Williams is sworn to testify as to who he saw in the hallway when he and his alleged filming partner Trayvon Newsome were ushered into the courtroom through the main entrance as they were chained. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Achille said that although detectives never found the guns, masks and money, only Williams was arrested days after the shooting, giving the others time to hide any evidence. She said that the lack of DNA evidence linking the defendants to the murder is irrelevant, this fact does not rule them out. Far more important, he said, is that the cellphone data shows the defendants were together near the motorcycle shop at the time of the murder and the Bluetooth data puts them in the van the shooters were using at the time. accurate.

During her main closing argument on Tuesday, Achille played surveillance video from the motorcycle shop and other locations that she says support Allen’s testimony. He also released cellphone videos the defendants allegedly took hours after the murder that showed them smiling and dancing while holding handfuls of $100 bills.

Boatwright, Williams and Newsome face mandatory life imprisonment if convicted. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. While all three are tried together, the jury must decide each separately and can only convict one or two. The jury deliberated for about an hour on Wednesday before adjourning. They will resume on Thursday.

Suspect Michael Boatwright's attorney, Joseph Kimok, discusses DNA samples taken from the victim that do not contain his client's DNA, during his closing argument in the XXXTentacion murder trial. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)
Michael Boatwright shooting suspect’s attorney, Joseph Kimok, discusses DNA swabs taken from the victim that do not contain his client’s DNA, during his closing argument in the XXXTentacion murder trial. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

XXXTentacionwhose real name was Jahseh Onfroyhad just left Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale on June 18, 2018 with a friend when their BMW was blocked by an SUV that swerved in front.

Surveillance video showed two masked gunmen emerge and confront the 20-year-old rapper through the driver’s window, one shooting him repeatedly after a 45-second struggle. They then took a Louis Vuitton bag containing the $50,000, which XXXTentacion had just withdrawn from the bank. They then got back into the truck and fled. The friend was not injured.

Prosecutors say the three defendants and Allen were out that day committing robberies and drove to the motorcycle shop to buy Williams a mask. There they saw the rapper and decided to target him.

Judge Michael Usan speaks with unrepresented attorney Mauricio Padilla after Padilla alleged that at least one juror saw his client, alleged shooting partner Dedrick Williams, led into court through the main entrance in chains . (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)
Judge Michael Usan speaks with unrepresented attorney Mauricio Padilla after Padilla alleged that at least one juror saw his client, alleged shooting partner Dedrick Williams, led into court through the main entrance in chains . (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Prosecutors say Allen and Williams walked into the motorcycle shop to confirm it was him. Then they went back to the van they had rented, waited for XXXTentacion to come out and they ambushed himaccording to prosecutors.

The rapper was a platinum-selling rising star who addressed issues such as prejudice and depression in his songs. He was also criticized for his bad behavior and multiple arrests, including for severely beating and abusing his girlfriend.

(with information from AP)

Continue reading:

Jury selection begins for trial against those suspected of rapper XXXTentacion’s 2018 murder
A year after his death, they announce a documentary and an album on the life of rapper XXXTentation
The video of the moment the rapper XXXTentación was murdered: it was recorded by surveillance cameras

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