FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Jurors in the trial of three men charged with killing rising rap star XXXTentacion in a 2018 robbery outside a Florida bike shop. deliberations began on Wednesday. Innocent.
Attorney Joseph Kimoku gave the final defense in the trial of three men accused of first-degree murder, telling jurors that the artist wrestled the killer before he was shot and that DNA was stolen from the body. He said it was found in a necklace that had been stolen, but it wasn’t. His client, 28, is not from Michael Boatwright. Nor was it from the second accused gunman, Trayvon Newsom, 24, or accused getaway driver and mastermind Dedrick Williams, 26.
“Anyone[XXXTentacion]has had a hard time with is not in this courtroom,” Kimoku told the jury as the four-week trial drew to a close. It proves that someone other than Trayvon Newsom was involved in this murder.”
A fourth man, Robert Allen, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year and testified against a former friend. Lawyers for all three men say he lied about their client’s involvement in the murder and robbery that earned them $50,000. , also said it did not consider other possible suspects, including Canadian rap star Drake, with whom XXXTentacion had an online feud.
Chief prosecutor Pascal Achille said in Wednesday’s rebuttal that Allen was not a full witness and had previous felony convictions, but rarely was a murder co-conspirator. I admitted that
“A plan hatched in hell has no angels as witnesses,” she said.
Ashir said detectives never found a gun, mask or money, but Williams was the only person arrested within days of the shooting, giving others time to hide the evidence. said the lack of DNA evidence linking the accused to the murder was irrelevant — that fact does not preclude them. and Bluetooth data show that the shooters placed them in an SUV that was used at the same time.
At Tuesday’s main closing argument, Asir played surveillance video from the bike shop and elsewhere to corroborate Allen’s testimony. Played a cell phone video of him dancing.
If convicted, Boatwright, Williams and Newsom all face life sentences. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. While the three are on trial together, jurors must decide on each separately and could convict one or two. They deliberated for about an hour on Thursday.
XXXTentacion, whose real name is Jahseh Onfroy, was leaving Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale with a friend on June 18, 2018 when his BMW was blocked by a swerving SUV.
Surveillance video showed two masked gunmen emerged and confronted the 20-year-old rapper in the driver’s window, and after a 45-second struggle, one shot him repeatedly. Earlier today, I got a Louis Vuitton bag containing $50,000 that XXXTentacion had just withdrawn from the bank. They then returned to their SUV and sped off. My friend was not hurt.
Prosecutors said the three defendants and Allen had left that day to commit a robbery and went to a bike shop to buy Williams a mask.
Prosecutors say Allen and Williams walked into a bike shop and confirmed it was him. was ambushed.
The rapper, who pronounced his name “Ex ex ex ten-ta-see-YAWN,” was a platinum-selling rising star who addressed issues like prejudice and depression with his songs. He also drew criticism for bad behavior and multiple arrests, including accusations of severely beating and abusing his girlfriend.
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