Three men found guilty of murdering XXXTentacion, a budding rap singer, in 2018 were sentenced to life in prison on Thursday.
The artist, Jahseh Onfroy, was only 20 years old when he was gunned down in broad daylight in Deerfield Beach, north of Miami.
Dedrick Williams, 26, Trayvon Newsome, 24, and Michael Boatwright, 28, were sentenced in a Fort Lauderdale circuit court just over two weeks after a jury found them guilty of first-degree murder.
Judge Michael Usan recited each of their penalties, emphasizing that they would never be released alive. The three sat motionless, with no response.
On June 18, 2018, an SUV hit XXXTentacion’s car, prompting two people to jump out and shoot him. They left after stealing a backpack holding $50,000 in cash.
Prosecutors claimed Boatwright and Newsome were the ones who got out of the automobile, but it was Boatwright who shot the rapper. Williams was suspected of being the getaway driver and the attack’s planner.
A fourth suspect, 26-year-old Robert Allen, testified against the others after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and armed robbery.
XXXTentacion’s career was just taking off when he was killed, winning fans over with works filled with open and dark verse about his suicidal thoughts.
XXXTentacion had hit number one on the album chart in 2018 with “?” but his success proved controversial due to his own history of violence. He had been awaiting trial on charges of beating his former girlfriend while she was pregnant.
