Three men who were accused of the murder of Jahseh Onfroy, aka XXXTentacion, have been found guilty by a Florida jury. All three men were charged with first-degree murder after the rapper was shot outside a South Florida motorcycle shop.
Michael Boatwright (aged 27), Dedrick Williams (aged 26), and Trayvon Newsome (age 24) will face life behind bars, which is the punishment for first-degree murder convictions. During the trial, the BBC reported that the lawyers of the three men claimed that the DNA wasn’t found on the rapper’s body and claimed that investigators “botched the case” and didn’t consider other suspects. Lawyer Joseph Kimok claimed in his closing statement that the one who’s truly behind XXXTentancion’s death wasn’t present.
“Whoever (XXXTentacion) struggled with is not in this courtroom.”
The lead prosecutor claimed that cellphone data showed that the three men were near the location at the time of the rapper’s death and that it was alleged that those accused were in the SUV used by the shooters. Surveillance camera footage and mobile phone recordings were also presented during the trial. It was also reported that a fourth suspect, Robert Allen, testified against the three men and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
On June 2018, two armed men blocked Onfroy as he attempted to exit a motorcycle shop. The men stole the rapper’s Louis Vuitton bag which contained around $50,000, and shot him multiple times. The rapper was immediately taken to hospital in critical condition but eventually died.
Following the announcement of his death, XXXTentacion’s music rose on the US music charts, and fans attended his memorial. XXXTentacion is known for his music and how it explored themes of mental health like depression, loneliness, and suicide. His debut album, 17, won a 2018 American Music Award and was nominated for New Artist of the Year. Throughout his music career, he released four studio albums, one compilation album, and one collaborative album.