The trial of the three men accused of killing up-and-coming Hip-Hop star XXXTentacion is set to begin on January 18 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Michael Boatwright, Dedrick Williams, and Treyvon Newsome all face armed robbery and first-degree murder charges, with the possibility of a life sentence if convicted. The defendants have pleaded not guilty.
XXXTentacion, whose real name is Jahseh Onfroy, was killed in Fort Lauderdale on June 18, 2018, when masked gunmen shot his car after leaving a motorcycle shop. The gunmen took a bag containing $50,000 that he had just withdrawn from the bank.
The defendants’ attorneys have suggested that there were third parties who had motives for killing XXXTentacion, however, reports have indicated significant evidence linking the accused to the crime. Boatwright’s fingerprints were found on the door of XXXTentacion’s BMW and Williams’ girlfriend told investigators that he was one of the gunmen. Additionally, mobile phone data places the defendants at the murder scene. Boatwright and Newsome’s phones were found to contain pictures showing large amounts of $100 bills taken on the night of the murder.
A fourth man, Robert Allen, previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is expected to testify against the other three men at the trial. Under Florida law, first-degree murder is committed when a person commits a “premeditated murder” or “felony murder,” meaning committed while also engaged in committing a felony, such as robbery. The difference between first-degree murder and second-degree murder is that first-degree murder requires a mandatory life sentence without parole, while second-degree murder requires a minimum 16.75-year sentence. The jury is expected to take three weeks, and the trial will last into March.
