Jury for men accused in XXXTentacion killing moving slowly
The jury in the trial of three men accused of killing rising rap star XXXTentacion during a 2018 robbery ended a sixth day of deliberations on Wednesday without reaching a verdict, asking the judge questions as they systematically sifted through the evidence. going from.
Seven women and five men asked Circuit Judge Michael Uson a technical question about watching videos of men holding fistfuls of $100 bills after the June 18, 2018, shooting and robbery that netted $50,000 and whether they were an envelope Can open and see a collection of fingerprints. they could. They have deliberated for over 20 hours since the matter was received on March 8. The deliberations will resume on Thursday.
Michael Boatwright, 28 and the accused shooter; Dedrick Williams, 26, and the accused ringleader and getaway driver; And Trayvon Newsom, 24, and the alleged second gunman, have been charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery. If convicted, he faces a mandatory life sentence. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty.
During the month-long trial, prosecutors tried to link the men to the shooting outside Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale through extensive surveillance video taken inside and outside the store, as well as cellphone video that they saw of $100 bills being sold. Flashed.
Prosecutors also had testimony from a fourth person, Robert Allen, a former friend of the defendants, who said he had participated in the robbery. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year. Pending the conclusion of this trial, he has not been punished. He could get anywhere between time served, meaning he could be released sooner, and life, partly depending on how prosecutors view his assistance.
Twice this week, jurors were asked to review text messages from the accused shooter, Boatwright, from the day of the shooting. A printout from prosecutors shows that from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., about an hour before the shooting, he drove 17 to various people, including one in a car. Prosecutors say the SUV used in the shooting was rented from a woman through a phone app. After this he stopped messaging for about two hours.
About an hour after the shooting, he sent a message saying, “Tell my brother I got the money for a new phone.” Minutes after that, he sent someone a screenshot of a news story that said XXXTentacion had been shot.
Defense attorneys accused Allen of being a liar and trying to avoid a life sentence. He also said prosecutors and detectives conducted a poor investigation, noting other possible suspects including Canadian rap star Drake – he and XXXTentacion had an online feud.
XXXTentacion, whose real name is Jahseh Onfroy, had just left Riva Motorsports with a friend when an oncoming SUV blocked his BMW.
Surveillance video showed two masked gunmen emerged and confronted the 20-year-old artist at the driver’s window, and one shot him repeatedly. He then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag full of XXXTentacion cash that he had just retrieved from the bank, got back into the SUV and fled. The friend was not harmed.
Allen testified that the men had gone out to commit a robbery that day and had gone to a motorcycle shop to buy Williams’ mask. There he saw the rapper and decided to make him his target. Allen and Williams go inside the shop to confirm that it is him. According to testimony, they then went back to the SUV, waited for XXXTentacion to emerge, and ambushed him.
The rapper, who pronounced his name “x x x ten-ta-si-yawn”, was a platinum-selling rising star who tackled issues including prejudice and depression in his lyrics. He also drew criticism over bad behavior and multiple arrests, including allegations that he severely beat and abused his girlfriend.
