FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Three males have been discovered responsible of first-degree homicide on Monday within the 2018 killing of star rapper XXXTentacion, who was shot exterior a South Florida bike store whereas being robbed of $50,000.
Michael Boatwright, 28, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24, have been additionally convicted of armed theft by a jury that rendered its verdict lower than an hour after starting its eighth day of deliberations.
Their sentencing, which Circuit Decide Michael Usan set for April 6, will largely be a formality; Florida regulation dictates a life sentence for first-degree homicide convictions.
The defendants, two wearing fits and one in a button-down shirt, confirmed little emotion as they stood one after the other to be handcuffed by a bailiff. There was no audible response from relations and different observers within the courtroom. Earlier than the verdicts have been learn, Usan warned that anybody who triggered any form of disruption can be held in contempt of court docket.
The Broward State Lawyer’s Workplace thanked the jurors and prosecutors in a press release however stated it could not remark additional till the sentencing.
Williams’ legal professional, Mauricio Padilla, informed The Related Press that he doesn’t really feel his consumer was afforded a good trial. He famous that a essential protection witness was stricken and that he was prohibited from deposing a key witness. Cellphone messages have been left with attorneys representing Boatright and Newsome.
“It's apparent from the times the jury was deliberating that that they had questions and I solely want I might have been in a position to correctly defend my consumer,” Padilla stated in an e-mail.
Through the monthlong trial, prosecutors linked Boatwright, Williams and Newsome to the June 18, 2018, taking pictures exterior Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale via intensive surveillance video taken inside and out of doors the shop, plus cellphone movies the boys took displaying them flashing fistfuls of $100 payments hours after the slaying.
Prosecutors additionally had the testimony of a fourth man, Robert Allen, a former pal of the defendants who stated he participated within the theft. He pleaded responsible final 12 months to second-degree homicide. He has not been sentenced pending the conclusion of this trial. He might get anyplace between time served, that means he might quickly be launched, and life, relying partly on how a lot weight prosecutors give to his help.
Protection attorneys accused Allen of being a liar who was motivated by his need to keep away from a life sentence. In addition they stated prosecutors and detectives did a poor investigation that didn’t take a look at different potential suspects, together with the Canadian rap star Drake; he and XXXTentacion had a web-based feud.
Boatwright was recognized as the first shooter. Twice final week, the jury requested to overview 17 textual content messages that prosecutors stated he despatched to varied individuals from the time he wakened about 10:30 a.m. till 3 p.m., about an hour earlier than the taking pictures. He then stopped texting for about two hours.
About an hour after the taking pictures, Boatwright despatched a textual content saying, “Inform my brother I acquired the cash for the brand new telephone.” Minutes after that, he despatched somebody a screenshot of a information story saying XXXTentacion had been shot, prosecutors stated.
XXXTentacion, whose actual title was Jahseh Onfroy, had simply left Riva Motorsports with a pal when an SUV swerved in entrance of him and blocked his BMW.
Surveillance video confirmed two masked gunmen rising and confronting the 20-year-old singer on the driver’s window, and one shot him repeatedly. They then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag containing money XXXTentacion had simply withdrawn from the financial institution, acquired again into the SUV and sped away. The pal was not harmed.
Newsome was accused of being the opposite gunman. Williams was accused of being the motive force of the SUV, and Allen of being contained in the automobile.
Allen testified that the boys set out that day to commit robberies and went to the bike store to purchase Williams a masks. There they noticed the rapper and determined to make him their goal. Allen and Williams went contained in the store to substantiate it was him. They then went again to the SUV that they had rented, waited for XXXTentacion to emerge and ambushed him, in keeping with testimony.
The rapper, who pronounced his title “Ex ex ex ten-ta-see-YAWN,” was a platinum-selling rising star who tackled points together with prejudice and despair in his songs. He additionally drew criticism over unhealthy conduct and a number of arrests, together with expenses that he severely beat and abused his girlfriend.
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This story has been edited to appropriate that jurors requested for the textual content messages from Boatwright final week, not this week.
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Related Press reporter Terry Spencer contributed to this report.
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