On Thursday, three men were sentenced to life in prison for the murder of American rapper XXXTentacion, who was shot during a robbery in South Florida.
Michael Botwright, 28, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsom, 24, were convicted last month by a jury of first-degree murder and armed robbery after eight days of deliberation.
Prosecutors weren’t seeking the death penalty, so life imprisonment was the only sentence Broward County Judge Michael Ousan could give for a first-degree murder conviction, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
The defendants showed little emotion as they listened to their sentences and then waited to be handcuffed.
There was also no audible reaction from family members or others in the courtroom.
Before the verdict was announced, Michael Ousan warned that any violation would be considered contempt of court.
CCTV footage links three men to the June 18, 2018 murder of an artist outside a Riva Motorsports store in suburban Fort Lauderdale.
The defendants also filmed a mobile phone video where they appeared to be displaying $100 bills after killing and robbing $50,000 (about 45,800 euros).
Prosecutors also relied on the testimony of a fourth person, Robert Allen, a former friend of the defendants, who said he was involved in the robbery.
Allen pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year but has yet to be convicted.
Defense lawyers accused Allen of lying, motivated by a desire to avoid a life sentence.
The three men’s defense also accused prosecutors and detectives of not conducting their investigation well by not looking at other possible suspects, including Canadian rapper Drake, who contacted XXXTentacion “online.”
Considered one of the greatest of the new generation of American hip hop, XXXTentacion rose to fame when his songs hit the SoundCloud platform.
His second studio album “?” peaked at number one on the Billboard charts upon its release in March 2018 and without any traditional promotion.
The artist has been at the center of controversy due to the violence he has been involved in.
Already convicted of assault, Jasei Onfroy – his real name – was awaiting trial in the wake of #MeToo in a case in which he was accused of beating his pregnant ex-girlfriend.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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