Jurors within the taking pictures dying of rapper XXXTentacion heard opening statements Tuesday, with protection claiming the deadly 2018 taking pictures stemmed from feud between XXX and Drake.
Leonard Kerr, a household good friend XXXTentacion, broke down as he informed jurors how the suspects ambushed him and the rapper as they drove away from a bike store on June 18, 2018, based on Regulation & Crime.
Jurors Hear Opening Statements In XXXTentacion’s Homicide Case, Protection Blames Feud With Drake For Taking pictures
A number of movies have been additionally performed in court docket, together with footage of XXX withdrawing $50Ok from a financial institution, adopted by a video of defendants Michael Boatwright, Trayon Newsome, and Dedrick Williams inside a bike store moments earlier than they shot and killed XXX by chopping him off whereas inside his car to get his $50Ok in money.
Every suspect is going through a first-degree homicide cost.
Jurors additionally heard theories concerning the taking pictures. In line with the protection, they defined it may have been a feud between XXX and Drake, however they are saying detectives refused to analyze that chance.
The authorized group for the three defendants argued that investigators didn’t observe up on XXXTentacion’s simmering feud with Drake within the aftermath of the 20-year-old’s tragic dying.
Rapper As soon as Posted That Drake Would Be To Blame If He Ever Ended Up Lifeless
The rapper, whose actual title is Jahseh Onfroy, as soon as said on social media that if he ever ended up lifeless, Drake can be the explanation behind it.
Nonetheless, he later retracted that daring assertion.
“For Broward County, for everybody concerned, this was a nightmare,” one of many attorneys, Mauricio Padilla, informed jurors.
In the meantime, prosecutors argue that the taking pictures was the results of a theft gone improper, and discredited any claims linking Drake to the deadly taking pictures.
On June 18, 2018, Boatwright, Trayvon and Williams arrived as Riva Motorsports to purchase masks with plans to commit armed robberies. Nonetheless, these plans modified after the group noticed XXXTentacion inside the shop, prosecutors stated.
A Quick Historical past Of The 2018 Homicide & Theft Of XXXTentacion
XXX was ambushed after leaving the shop in his BMW as Williams lower off the rapper’s sports activities automotive along with his SUV, whereas Boatwright and Newsome rushed XXXTentacion’s automotive to rob him, prosecutor Pascale Achille stated in court docket Tuesday.
The trio ended up stealing about $50,000 that XXXTentacion had in a Louis Vuitton bag earlier than Boatwright shot him a number of instances “with none provocation,” Achille stated.
The three have been tied to the taking pictures by surveillance footage and cellphone pinging spots, in addition to the testimony of Robert Allen.
Allen took a plea deal and is predicted to testify in the course of the trial, Achille stated throughout her opening assertion.
The rapper was a platinum-selling rising star who’s music explored themes of prejudice and melancholy in his songs. Nonetheless, XXX drew widespread criticism over a number of arrests, together with allegations and arrests for severely beating up and abusing his girlfriend.
