The XXXTentacion murder trial has concluded with a verdict.
Dedrick Williams, Michael Boatwright, and Trayvon Newsome were all convicted of the rapper’s death during a robbery outside a motorcycle shop in 2018.
On Monday, March 20, a Florida jury reached a decision after a week of deliberation. The case’s closing arguments concluded on March 8th.
All three men were found guilty of first-degree murder and armed robbery and face life in prison. Last year, a fourth person, Robert Allen, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and testified against the other three.
On June 18, 2018, XXXTentacion, real name Jahseh Onfroy, was shot and killed as he was leaving Riva Motorsports when his vehicle was blocked by an SUV. Two masked gunmen approached him and demanded money before shooting him. They made off with $50,000 in cash from X’s Louis Vuitton bag. Shortly after, the 20-year-old rapper died in the hospital.
The trial began in February, nearly five years after the murder of XXXTentacion. The prosecution claimed that X was killed during a botched robbery. Surveillance video shown in court captured the moment two masked gunmen with guns drawn attacked the rapper’s car.
During closing arguments, Boatwright’s lawyer, Joseph Kimok, claimed that there was no DNA evidence linking the defendants to the murder, while Newsome’s lawyer, George Reres, urged the jury not to be swayed by social media posts showing the suspects with the money.
Mauricio Padilla, Williams’ lawyer, attempted to cast doubt on the case by bringing up an alleged feud between Drake and XXXTentacion, and even attempted to get Drake to sit for a deposition. Due to a lack of evidence linking Drake to the shooting, the judge ultimately ruled that Drake would not be deposed.
