Rapper XXXTentacion was robbed, gunned down in 2018. Nearly five years later: a trial
The trial of three men accused of killing Florida rapper XXXTentacion during an attempted robbery in 2018 is expected to begin in a matter of days.
Jury selection is ongoing, but the trial will likely start next week, a spokesperson for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida told the Miami Herald. It should wrap up by March.
Here’s what to know about the long-awaited trial.
The accused suspects
Michael Boatwright, Dedrick Williams and Trayvon Newsome are facing charges of first-degree murder and armed robbery in the killing of the Pompano Beach artist, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy.
On Jan. 9, Judge Michael Usan denied a motion to try the defendants separately.
READ MORE: Minute by minute, how cops tracked the four suspects in rapper XXXTentacion’s murder
In August, Robert Allen, the fourth suspect, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and armed robbery with a firearm. The 26-year-old faces up to life in prison when he’s sentenced in February. Allen is expected to testify against his alleged conspirators at the upcoming trial.
The robbery and shooting
XXXTentacion was shot to death on June 18, 2018, as he was leaving the RIVA Motorsports dealership in Deerfield Beach. A dark-colored SUV blocked his BMW, police say, and two gunmen hopped out — robbing the rapper and firing a spray of bullets.
The two gunmen were identified as Boatwright, 27, and Newsome, 24, according to court documents. Williams, 26, is accused of being the getaway driver.
READ MORE: Orange sandals and a black mask led to XXXTentacion murder suspect’s arrest
According to a search warrant, Williams admitted to Broward homicide detectives that he and the other men went to RIVA Motorsports, but said he had no idea they were planning to rob and shoot XXXTentacion.
READ MORE: Rapper XXXTentacion had $50,000. Four men have been indicted for killing him to get it.
The focus of the robbery, police say, was a Louis Vuitton bag with $50,000 inside. The rapper had withdrawn the sum out of his account at a Bank of America branch in stacks of $100 bills.
The rapper’s rise to fame
XXXTentacion came into the public eye in 2017 with his single “Look At Me!,” which was posted to the music website SoundCloud. On Twitter, he later accused Canadian hip-hop star Drake of copying a portion of his song.
Drake denied the South Florida rapper’s claims, but XXXTentacion launched a series of tirades against him on Twitter and in interviews.
READ MORE: Drake, other rappers listed as potential witnesses in XXXTentacion Florida murder case
Their ongoing beef was the reason the internet swirled with wild and unsubstantiated conspiracy theories linking Drake to XXXTentacion’s killing.
