XXXTENTACION Murder Trial To Begin This Week

BYGabriel Bras Nevares1257 Views
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Miami Dade County Corrections via Getty Images
While jury selection is still underway, three of four initial codefendants will stand trial starting sometime this week.

Trial for the murder of XXXTENTACION is set to begin later this week, five years after the 2018 armed robbery that took his life. Furthermore, jury selection for the trial hasn't finished, but NBC6 reported that trial will begin this week. Moreover, codefendants Michael Boatwright, Dedrick Devonshay Williams and Trayvon Newsome will stand trial.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 15: A view of a tribute to slain rapper XXXtentacion during day 2 of Rolling Loud Festival at Banc of California Stadium on December 15, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

However, a fourth codefendant Robert Allen pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges in August of 2022. While he still faces a sentence, he's expected to testify against the three colleagues to lighten it.

“[Allen] pleaded guilty to a lesser included offense of second-degree murder and robbery with a firearm," said his attorney Jim Lewis. "He still faces a life sentence. Obviously, we are hoping for better than that. But his sentence is deferred and it is likely he will be called as a witness in the case against the other three co-defendants."

Moreover, he said that “Mr. Allen’s role was much less than the other three involved. It was always kind of contemplated that the State was looking to use him as a witness in the case.”

Still, if convicted, all three codefendants face life behind bars. However, authorities believe that Boatwright fatally shot the "Moonlight" rapper in the Florida armed robbery. Afterwards, they escaped with $50,000 in a Louis Vuitton bag, which belonged to X.

Soon after the incident, officials arrested all four men and charged them with first-degree murder and armed robbery. When trial began taking shape, authorities named Drake, 6ix9ine, Joe Budden, and Quavo as potential witnesses in the Broward County trial.

Meanwhile, many fans believe that the 6 God is more involved than one might expect. For example, they had a brief clash after X accused Drake of biting his hi "Look At Me!" on his track "KMT." Later, X wrote " “If anyone tries to kill me it was [Drake]" on his story before claiming someone hacked him. While no evidence presented links Drake to the crime, lawyers believe him and other hip-hop figures could help this case.

Still, even the Canadian artist's own music led fans to believe he had something to do with X's death. Moreover, the song "Mob Ties" caught the eyes of many for apparent allusions to the incident. "Louis bags in exchange for body bags," he raps on the song.

However, what do you think of XXXTENTACION's murder trial set to begin later this week? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, come back to HNHH for the latest updates on this story.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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