More than 4 years after gunmen killed rising rap star XXXTentacion throughout a theft exterior a South Florida bike store, three suspects are scheduled to go on trial Wednesday when jury choice begins.
Shooting suspect Michael Boatwright, 28, and his accused accomplices, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24, might all obtain life sentences if convicted of first-degree homicide. They are additionally charged with armed theft. They have pleaded not responsible.
A fourth man, Robert Allen, 26, pleaded responsible to second-degree homicide final 12 months and is predicted to testify towards the opposite three. Jury choice is predicted to final three weeks, with opening statements tentatively set for Jan. 30. The trial is predicted to final into March.
In pretrial hearings, the defendants’ attorneys have advised there have been others who had monetary and private motives for killing the singer, together with members of his household and different rappers.
“It’s been over four long years in the making. We are excited to take this first step to bringing Dedrick home,” mentioned Mauricio Padilla, Williams’ legal professional. The attorneys for Boatwright and Newsome didn’t reply to emails searching for remark. The COVID-19 pandemic and authorized wrangling delayed the beginning of the trial.
Circuit Judge Michael Usan rejected final week an try by Boatwright’s legal professional, Joseph Kimok, to have him declared mentally incompetent to face trial. He additionally rejected a movement by the defendants’ attorneys to strive the three individually.
They argued that proof offered towards only one defendant can be prejudicial to the opposite two. They additionally argued that every protection legal professional might attempt to set up his shopper’s innocence or mitigate his guilt by pointing fingers on the different two suspects — they argued that may unfairly prejudice the jury towards the trio. Prosecutor Pascale Achille advised Usan that any proof offered would pertain to all three.
Usan dominated the protection attorneys’ arguments might apply in all trials the place there are a number of defendants, however on this case they do not outweigh the wants of “judicial economy” to not maintain three trials if not completely required.
XXXTentacion. whose actual identify was Jahseh Onfroy, had simply left Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale on June 18, 2018, with a good friend when his BMW was blocked by an SUV that swerved in entrance. Two masked gunmen emerged, confronted XXXTentacion on the driver’s window and one shot him. They then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag containing $50,000 money the singer had simply withdrawn from the financial institution, received again into the SUV and sped away.
XXXTentacion, 20, died on the hospital shortly after. He pronounced his identify “Ex ex ex ten-ta-see-YAWN” and was a platinum-selling rising star who tackled points together with prejudice and despair in his songs. He additionally drew criticism over dangerous habits and a number of arrests, together with prices that he severely beat and abused his girlfriend.
Investigators say surveillance video from the shop and different proof hyperlinks the three defendants and Allen to the killing.
They say video reveals the SUV arriving on the bike store simply as XXXTentacion and his good friend entered. Williams and Allen adopted them inside, with Williams making a small buy. They then walked again to the SUV. About 10 minutes later, XXXTentacion and his good friend tried to go away, however the SUV blocked them. Prosecutors say Boatwright and Newsome have been the gunmen who confronted the rapper, with Boatwright firing the deadly pictures.
Investigators say Boatwright’s fingerprints have been discovered on the motive force’s door of the rapper’s BMW. Williams was recognized by a Riva Motorsports clerk, who mentioned he was an everyday buyer. Williams advised investigators he didn’t know the opposite three have been planning a theft.
A search of Williams’ social media confirmed photographs of him with Allen, who was then recognized from the surveillance video. Williams’ girlfriend advised investigators that he advised her that the opposite gunman was Newsome.
They say cellphone information additionally hyperlinks the defendants to the scene.
Photos of Boatwright and Newsome holding up giant quantities of $100 payments, timestamped on the evening of the killing, have been additionally discovered on their telephones, prosecutors say.
