FORT LAUDERDALE – An legal professional for the male accused of gunning down mounting rap star XXXTentacion in the course of a 2018 theft outside the house a South Florida motorcycle store told a jury Wednesday that DNA evidence proves his customer and one more person are harmless.
Lawyer Joseph Kimok gave the ultimate protection closing argument in the trial of a few adult men accused of to start with-degree murder, stating that when the artist struggled with his killers before being shot and DNA was identified on the overall body and on a stolen necklace, it was not from his client, 28-yr-aged Michael Boatwright. Nor was it from accused next gunman Trayvon Newsome, 24, or accused getaway driver and ringleader Dedrick Williams, 26.
“Whoever (XXXTentacion) struggled with is not in this courtroom,” Kimok instructed jurors as the four-7 days demo neared its summary. “The DNA proves that an individual not named Michael Boatwright or Trayvon Newsome participated in this murder.”
A fourth guy, Robert Allen, pleaded responsible past 12 months to 2nd-diploma murder and testified from his previous close friends. Lawyers for all a few guys say he is lying about their clients’ involvement in the slaying and robbery, which netted $50,000. They also say Broward County sheriff’s detectives botched the investigation, failing to think about other doable suspects such as Canadian rap star Drake, with whom XXXTentacion had an on line feud.
Lead prosecutor Pascale Achille in her rebuttal argument Wednesday admitted that Allen is not a best witness, that he has past felony convictions, but co-conspirators in murders rarely are.
“Programs hatched in hell do not have angels for witnesses,” she said.
Achille said that although detectives under no circumstances discovered the guns, masks and dollars, only Williams was arrested inside of times of the taking pictures, providing the some others time to disguise any evidence. She claimed the absence of DNA evidence linking the defendants to the killing is irrelevant – that truth does not exclude them.
Through her main closing argument Tuesday, Achille performed surveillance video clip from the motorbike store and elsewhere that she states backs up Allen’s testimony. She also performed cellphone video clips the defendants allegedly took hrs soon after the killing that confirmed them smiling and dancing as they flashed handfuls of $100 charges.
Jury deliberations will begin afterwards Wednesday or Thursday morning soon after Circuit Judge Michael Usan instructs the jury on the regulation. Boatwright, Williams and Newsome all deal with necessary lifetime sentences if convicted. Prosecutors did not find the dying penalty.
XXXTentacion, whose real identify was Jahseh Onfroy, experienced just left Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale on June 18, 2018, with a pal when his BMW was blocked by an SUV that swerved in entrance.
Surveillance video clip confirmed that two masked gunmen emerged and confronted the 20-yr-aged rapper at the driver’s window, and one shot him frequently after a 45-2nd struggle. They then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag containing the $50,000, which XXXTentacion experienced just withdrawn from the financial institution. They then obtained again into the SUV and sped absent. The friend was not harmed.
Prosecutors say the a few defendants and Allen established out that working day to commit robberies and went to the bike shop to buy Williams a mask. There they spotted the rapper and made the decision to make him their goal.
Prosecutors say Allen and Williams went inside of the motorbike shop to verify it was him. They then went back again to the SUV they experienced rented, waited for XXXTentacion to arise and ambushed him, according to prosecutors.
The rapper, who pronounced his name “Ex ex ex 10-ta-see-YAWN,” was a platinum-marketing growing star who tackled troubles like prejudice and despair in his tracks. He also drew criticism more than poor actions and a number of arrests, which includes charges that he severely conquer and abused his girlfriend.
