Jury deliberations for the trial of three men accused of murdering rising rap star XXXTentacion during a 2018 robbery will resume next week after the panel ended a seventh day of deliberations without reaching a verdict.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Jury deliberations for the trial of three men accused of murdering rising rap star XXXTentacion during a 2018 robbery will resume Monday after the panel ended a seventh day of deliberations Thursday without reaching a verdict. .
The seven women and five men had asked Circuit Judge Michael Usan if they could have Friday off for personal appointments, and the judge granted the request. The previous Thursday, jurors had asked to see the defendants’ social media accounts, as well as GPS data or maps to calculate the distance between the points mentioned in the case. The judge denied those requests and said the verdict must be based on the evidence presented during the trial.
Michael Boatwright, 28, the accused shooter; Dedrick Williams, 26, the accused ringleader and getaway driver; and Trayvon Newsome, 24, and the alleged second gunman, are charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery. They face mandatory life sentences if convicted. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty.
During the month-long trial, prosecutors tried to link the men to the shooting outside Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale through extensive surveillance video taken inside and outside the store, as well as cellphone videos that They were caught showing $100 bills. Prosecutors also had testimony from a fourth man, Robert Allen, a former friend of the defendants, who said he participated in the robbery. He pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder and awaits sentencing.
Defense attorneys accused Allen of being a liar trying to avoid a life sentence. They also said prosecutors and detectives did a flawed investigation that failed to look at other possible suspects, including Canadian rap star Drake: he and XXXTentacion were having an online dispute.
XXXTentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, was a platinum-selling rising star who addressed issues like prejudice and depression in his songs. He also received criticism for his misbehavior and multiple arrests, including charges that he severely beat and abused his girlfriend.
