XXXTENTACION's Mother Reacts To Verdict In Murder Case

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Variety Hitmakers Brunch, Arrivals, Los Angeles, USA - 01 Dec 2018
Cleopatra Bernard attends the Second Annual Variety Hitmakers Brunch at The Sunset Tower Hotel on December 1, 2018 in West Hollywood. (Photo by John Salangsang/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images)
The jury found the three man guilty on all counts related to the murder of XXXTENTACION.

Though no verdict will bring her son back, XXXTENTACION’s mom can feel some relief now that a jury delivered justice. Cleopatra Bernard rejoiced at the verdict that found the three men standing trial in XXXTENTACION’s murder guilty on all counts. “You finally got justice Jah,” she wrote alongside a black-and-white photo of her son. Bernard attended court today where the jury found Dedrick Williams, 26; Trayvon Newsome, 24; and Michael Boatwright, 28, guilty of first-degree murder and armed robbery. “I Made sure you were present in the room,” his mom added while wearing a t-shirt with XXXTENTACION’s face.

Prosecutors accused Williams, Newsome, and Boatwright of planning and robbing XXXTENTACION outside of Riva Motorsports in Broward County on June 18th, 2018. A fourth suspect, Robert Allen, took to the stand where he testified against the other defendants. Allen said that he was the getaway driver while the other three individuals executed the robbery. All four men await sentencing on April 6th, though Allen could receive time served for his cooperation. The first-degree murder charges alone carry a possible life sentence.

XXXTENTACION Mom Attends Murder Trial

Though Cleopatra Bernard attended the trial, she was also mentioned during the preliminary hearings. Earlier this year, the defense successfully argued that XXXTENTACION’s mother needed to disclose the amount of money she received since his death. Given that she took control of his estate after his passing, the defense felt as though this information would be critical in creating their argument. Evidently, that didn’t work out for them in the end. 

Over the years since her son’s death, XXXTENTACION’s mom led his estate and provided fans with updates on his posthumous releases. In 2022, Bernard led the campaign of X’s documentary, Look At Me, which explored his career and personal life, specifically the allegations of abuse against his ex-girlfriend. Though some fans felt a way about it, Bernard explained that she aimed to humanize her son with the documentary’s release. However, she also admitted that she wished she included documents proving that his ex-girlfriend wasn’t pregnant at the time of the domestic abuse incident. Check out Cleopatra’s response to the guilty verdict above. 

[Via]

About The Author
Aron A.
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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