(Image via rollingstone.com)
Staff Writer: Sakara De Gil-Balija
Email: sdegilbalija@umassd.edu
Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, The American rapper and songwriter known best as XXXTentacion, was killed in Florida back in June of 2018. On March 20th, 2023, the three suspects in his murder were convicted after seven days of deliberation.
The rapper was only twenty years old at the time of his death.
He was shot while operating his car while leaving a motorcycle store in Deerfield Beach. The rapper was robbed of $50,000 and a Louis Vuitton bag.
The three main suspects in XXXTentacions murder were on trial and were convicted this week.
The three defendants, twenty-eight-year-old Michael Boatwright, twenty-four-year-old Trayvon Newsome, and twenty-six-year-old Dedrick Williams, were convicted after nearly a week of jury deliberations that started on March 8th, 2023.
In addition to these three men, a fourth stepped forward – Robert Allen.
Allen pled guilty to second-degree murder prior to this trial and recalled second-guessing the robbery at the moment.
He reports having asked the others to consider changing their minds as well.
According to Allen’s testimony, the four went out on the morning of June 18th, 2018, to purchase a mask for Williams to use during the robberies they planned to commit later that day.
When they saw Onfroy (XXXTentacion), they decided to make him the prime target and went back to their rented car, where they waited for Onfroy to leave the store he was in. They then attacked him.
You can watch Robert Allen’s testimony here.
According to KTLA, the defendants showed little emotion in the courtroom.
KTLA also reports that “Williams’ attorney, Mauricio Padilla, told The Associated Press that he doesn’t feel his client was afforded a fair trial. He noted that a crucial defense witness was stricken and that he was prohibited from deposing a key witness. Phone messages were left with attorneys representing Boatright and Newsome.”
Security footage during the trial also shows the men after the murder, flashing handfuls of money toward a camera, bragging about their crime.
Michael Boatwright was pinned as the primary shooter after a series of text messages were brought in as evidence.
The messages show a gap of about two hours, during which the shooting would have taken place, and then a message simply saying: “tell my brother I got the money for the new phone.”
A few minutes after that ominous message, he sent someone a screenshot of a news article about XXXtentacion’s death.
Florida law calls for a life sentence for first-degree murder.
The sentencing date for the convicted trio is set for April 6th, 2023.