XXXtentacion.Photo: Larry Marano/Shutterstock
Three men who were previously found guilty of murdering rapperXXXTentacionhave been sentenced to life in prison.
Soloman Sobande, the rapper’s manager read a statement on behalf of the family during the sentencing, according toNBC Miami.
“This is a loss we will never truly recover from,” Sobande said, per the outlet. “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 three men will have no option of parole or early release for good behavior, the outlet reports.
Michael Boatwright, Dedrick Williams, and Trayvon Newsome.AP/Shutterstock
Robert Allen, the fourth man arrested for the murder, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year and accepted a plea deal in exchange for his cooperation,CBS Miami reports. He is yet to be sentenced.
Boatwright fired the shot that killed the “Look at Me!” performer while Newsom was the other gunman, prosecutors said. Williams, who apparently organized the murder, was noted to be driving the getaway car.
According to theNew York Times, the jury made the decision to find the men guilty partly based ontestimony from Allen, who was also at the scene.
Other evidence provided included the store’s surveillance footage of two men apparently watching XXXTentacion, mobile data confirming their location and use of the SUV as well as video footage of them flaunting the cash shortly after the murder.
The jury reportedly reviewed over 1,000 text messages as well as footage from the defendants' phones, which included a photo of a news story about the incident, throughout the week of deliberations. While Boatwright, Newsome and Williams were tried together, jurors were instructed to make separate decisions on each of their guilty or innocent statuses.
The three men’s defense lawyers reportedly “argued that DNA evidence failed to link them to the shooting,” according toNYT. Their team also said Allen was an unreliable witness due to past felony convictions and attempted to link XXXTentacion’s murder to his beef with rapperDrake, who was previously dismissed from giving a deposition.
“Plans hatched in hell do not have angels for witnesses,” said lead prosecutorPascale Achille, following closing arguments,per the Associated Press.
source: people.com
