XXXTENTACION Murder Trial To Begin This Week

BYGabriel Bras Nevares2.4K 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 music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.
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