The short lifestyle of emerging rap star XXXTentacion ended when two masked gunmen emerged from an SUV that experienced blocked his BMW as he remaining a motorcycle shop and demanded his income in advance of just one shot him. They fled with $50,000 in dollars.
Now, almost 5 years afterwards, the suspects and an alleged accomplice are on demo for the 20-calendar year-old’s slaying.
Jury selection commenced Wednesday in the to start with-diploma murder trial for the gentleman accused of pulling the induce, Michael Boatwright, 28, and his alleged accomplices, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24. All could get life sentences if convicted. They also are charged with armed robbery and have pleaded not responsible.
Broward Sheriff’s Business Michael Boatwright, Dedrick Williams, Trayvon Newsome
A fourth person, Robert Allen, 26, pleaded responsible to second-diploma murder very last year and is expected to testify towards the other a few. Opening statements are anticipated in early February, with the demo long lasting into March.
In pretrial hearings, the defendants’ attorneys have proposed there had been other folks who had monetary and particular motives for killing the singer, including customers of his family members and other rappers, these kinds of as Canadian superstar Drake. The two experienced online beefs. The attorneys are scheduled to interview him exterior court and in personal Friday.
Circuit Choose Michael Usan claimed Wednesday that for any of the rappers to be referred to as as a witness, the protection would have to present a little something far more sizeable linking them to the shooting than just that they were being feuding with XXXTentacion.
Drake and Tekashi 69 are among the a team of hip hop stars who are outlined as prospective protection witnesses for a single of the adult men billed in the 2018 killing of local rapper XXXTentacion, court documents confirmed.
“It’s been more than 4 prolonged a long time in the making. We are psyched to consider this first move to bringing Dedrick house,” explained Mauricio Padilla, Williams’ attorney. The lawyers for Boatwright and Newsome did not answer to email messages in search of remark. The COVID-19 pandemic and authorized wrangling delayed the commence of the demo.
Usan recently turned down an try by Boatwright’s legal professional, Joseph Kimok, to have him declared mentally incompetent to stand trial. He also rejected a movement by the defendants’ attorneys to check out the three individually.
They argued that evidence offered versus just just one defendant would be prejudicial to the other two. They also argued that just about every defense legal professional could attempt to establish his client’s innocence or mitigate his guilt by pointing fingers at the other two suspects — which they argued would unfairly prejudice the jury towards the trio. Prosecutor Pascale Achille informed Usan that any evidence offered would pertain to all a few.
Usan ruled the defense attorneys’ arguments could apply in all trials where by there are multiple defendants, but in this scenario they never outweigh the demands of “judicial economy” to not hold three trials if not definitely needed.
XXXTentacion. whose genuine title was Jahseh Onfroy, had just left Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale on June 18, 2018, with a buddy when his BMW was blocked by an SUV that swerved in front. Two masked gunmen emerged, confronted XXXTentacion at the driver’s window and one shot him. They then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag made up of $50,000 income the singer experienced just withdrawn from the financial institution, bought back again into the SUV and sped away.
XXXTentacion died at the clinic shortly just after. He pronounced his title “Ex ex ex ten-ta-see-YAWN” and was a platinum-selling soaring star who tackled troubles like prejudice and melancholy in his tracks. He also drew criticism over poor habits and many arrests, including charges that he severely conquer and abused his girlfriend.
Investigators say surveillance movie from the store and other evidence one-way links the a few defendants and Allen to the killing.
They say video shows the SUV arriving at the bike shop just as XXXTentacion and his close friend entered. Williams and Allen adopted them inside of, with Williams producing a tiny invest in. They then walked back again to the SUV. About 10 minutes afterwards, XXXTentacion and his close friend attempted to leave, but the SUV blocked them. Prosecutors say Boatwright and Newsome were the gunmen who confronted the rapper, with Boatwright firing the deadly shots.
Investigators say Boatwright’s fingerprints had been uncovered on the driver’s doorway of the rapper’s BMW. Williams was discovered by a Riva Motorsports clerk, who stated he was a common shopper. Williams told investigators he did not know the other a few had been setting up a theft.
A search of Williams’ social media showed shots of him with Allen, who was then discovered from the surveillance video. Williams’ girlfriend advised investigators that he advised her that the other gunman was Newsome.
They say cellphone details also back links the defendants to the scene.
Photos of Boatwright and Newsome keeping up massive amounts of $100 expenses, timestamped on the night of the killing, ended up also discovered on their telephones, prosecutors say.
