JURY'S DECISION
XXXTentacion murder trial verdict: Michael Boatwright, Dedrick Williams, and Trayvon Newsome found guilty of murder
THE three men charged with the murder of rapper XXXTentacion have been found guilty nearly five years after the HOPE lyricist's death.
A jury in convicted suspects Michael Boatwright, Dedrick Williams, and Trayvon Newsome for the fatal armed robbery of XXXTentacion in Deerfield Beach, about 43 miles north of , on June 18, 2018.
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Boatwright, 28, Williams, 26, and Newsome, 24, who were all charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery for the killing, showed no emotion after the verdict was read as court officers slapped handcuffs on their wrists.
According to Florida law, defendants found guilty of first-degree murder will not be eligible for parole and will receive an automatic life imprisonment sentence.
All three men will be sentenced on April 6.
Suspect-turned-witness Robert Allen, who pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder, testified how his three ex-pals were involved in the incident.
During her closing arguments, state prosecutor Pascale Achille played surveillance footage of Allen confessing his involvement in the .
Achille also broadcasted a cell phone video that Boatwright, Williams, and Newsome took shortly after killing the Moonlight , 20, where they flashed handfuls of $100 bills.
"This is who they are," Achille told the jury.
"This is their real character. Killers that within 24 hours after shooting the victim dead and stealing $50,000 from him, this is what they do. Look at how happy they look. Look at how excited they look to have this money."
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Meanwhile, defense attorney Joseph Kimok argued that DNA found on the victim's body and on a stolen necklace didn't match that of his client Boatwright or the other two defendants.
"Whoever [XXXTentacion] struggled with is not in this courtroom,” Kimok told jurors following a four-week trial.
"The DNA proves that someone not named Michael Boatwright or Trayvon Newsome participated in this murder."
FATAL ROBBERY
XXXTentacion, born Jahseh Onfroy, had just left Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale on June 18, 2018, with a friend when his BMW was blocked by an SUV that swerved in front.
The car blocked X, and two armed men jumped out to confront the friends, prosecutors said.
The perpetrators held guns to the window, with one suspect warning against jumping out of the car while the rapper said: "What's this for?"
Surveillance video showed one masked gunman shooting the rapper repeatedly after a 45-second struggle.
The trio then grabbed a Louis Vuitton bag containing the $50,000, which XXXTentacion had just withdrawn from the bank moments before.
They then got back into the rented SUV and sped away. X's friend was not harmed in the incident.
Attorneys revealed heartbreaking surveillance footage during the trial, which shows X chatting with a bank teller moments before the incident.
Prosecutors said the three defendants and Allen set out that day to commit robberies and targeted X after spotting him at the motorcycle shop.
";We had masks to rob people," Allen said.
Allen and Williams went inside the bike shop to confirm it was the rapper and returned to their SUV, where they waited for X to emerge, prosecutors said.
After the ambush, the suspects fled the scene, abandoning the vehicle.
They reunited later after Newsome returned to the scene to retrieve the rental car.
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During his testimony, Allen said that each of the men received $15,000 of the stolen money, but he only received $5,000 because he stayed in the vehicle during the robbery.
X was a platinum-selling rising star who tackled issues including prejudice and depression in his songs.
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