The three menconvicted of murdering rapper XXXTentacion in a 2018 robbery in Florida were sentenced to life in prison Thursday, according to NBC Miami and multiple news reports.
Dedrick Williams, Michael Boatwright and Trayvon Newsome appeared in a Broward County courtroom, where Judge Michael Usan handed down the life sentences, which are mandatory in the state. The three men will have no chance for parole or early release.
The late rapper’s manager, Solomon Sobande, the manager for the rapper whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, read a statement on behalf of the family during the sentencing, and referenced XXXTentacion’s son, who was born after he died.
“This is a loss we will never truly recover from,” he said. “We will never get to see Jahseh live to his full potential, we will never get to watch him grow old, we will never get to watch him be a father.”
The jury, consisting of of five men and seven women, convicted the three men on first-degree murder and armed robbery charges last month, after six days of deliberations.
The rapper was shot and killed on June 18, 2018, as he attempted to leave a motorcycle shop in Florida by Boatwright and Newsome, who stole $50,000 in cash while Williams was said to be the ringleader and getaway driver. Robert Allen was also with the attackers that day, though he took a plea deal for second-degree murder in August of last year and later testified against his alleged co-conspirators. He stated that the decision to attack onfroy was Williams’ idea and that it was Boatwright who shot him, and said he decided not to take part after recognizing that his face had been on camera inside the motorsports store.
Prosecutors argued, and Allen’s testimony /confirm/ied, that the group had been planning to commit robberies that day and only happened to cross paths with onfroy at the shop because they were there to pick up ski masks. Surveillance footage shown in court revealed the rapper’s BMW had been blocked by an S.U.V. by two masked attackers who vigilantly approached Onfroy’s vehicle after blocking the exit — thus began the altercation over the rapper’s bag of cash. There was one other person in the car with onfroy at the time who fled as soon as the scuffle started.
Allen’s testimony also helped to weaken the defense’s string of murder-for-hire arguments against several targets including Drake, with whom onfroy had been feuding on social media.
During opening arguments, the defense cited a Feb. 2018 post from onfroy that read, “If anyone tries to kill me it was @champagnepapi [Drake on Instagram]. I’m snitching right now.” Those accusations were eventually ruled out by the Judge who said there was a lack of evidence of his involvement, though the topic was revisited by the defense during closing arguments with a claim that the Broward County sheriff’s detectives didn’t do enough to investigate other possible suspects.
Before his death, onfroy had pleaded not guilty to allegations of domestic battery by strangulation, witness-tampering and aggravated battery of a pregnant woman.
