XXXTentacion murder: Three men found guilty of killing rapper in 2018 sentenced to life in prison without parole
BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA: Three men convicted of the murder of rising rap star XXXTentacion were sentenced to life in prison on April 7. Dedrick Williams, Michael Boatwright, and Trayvon Newsome were handed mandatory life sentences by Judge Michael Usan in a Broward County courtroom.
The three men had been found guilty of first-degree murder and armed robbery in March 2023 by a jury of five men and seven women. XXXTentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, was shot and killed during a robbery outside Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale on June 18, 2018.
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'This is a loss we will never truly recover from'
XXXTentacion had just withdrawn $50,000 in cash from the bank when his BMW was blocked by an SUV that swerved in front of him. Two masked gunmen then emerged from the SUV and shot the 20-year-old singer at the driver's window before grabbing the Louis Vuitton bag containing the cash and fleeing the scene.
During Thursday's sentencing, Solomon Sobande, the manager for XXXTentacion, read a statement on behalf of the rapper's family. Sobande lamented the fact that XXXTentacion never got to meet his son who was born seven months after the killing. He said, "This is a loss we will never truly recover from. 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," NBC 6 reported.
No chance for parole
Prosecutors had not sought the death penalty, and the three men will have no chance for parole or early release for good behavior. A fourth suspect, Robert Allan, had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year and testified against his former friends. Boatwright, 28, was identified as the shooter, while Newsome, 24, was the second gunman. Williams, 26, was the ringleader and getaway driver.
The trial lasted four weeks, during which prosecutors presented testimony, surveillance video, and cellphone records tying each of the three men to the crime, along with videos they took of themselves flashing $100 bills. Defense attorneys tried to refute the evidence and point to others as responsible, but the jury did not buy it. During opening statements in February, jurors heard divergent theories about the shooting, including a robbery gone awry, according to prosecutors. Defense attorneys suggested that it could have been a feud between XXXTentacion and the megastar Drake, but detectives refused to investigate that possibility.
'We're good, justice was served'
XXXTentacion was a platinum-selling rising star who tackled several issues, including prejudice and depression, in his songs. He also drew criticism over bad behavior and multiple arrests, including charges that he severely beat and abused his girlfriend. After the jury returned the guilty verdict, XXXTentacion's mother, Cleopatra Bernard, spoke briefly, saying, "We're good, justice was served. Thank you guys for supporting us."
