A courtroom video exhibits XXXTENTACION withdrawing money from a Bank of America.
XXXTENTACION was shot and died in broad daylight almost five years ago. But today is the first day of the three defendants’ trial who are accused of killing the rapper. The trial eventually started despite several delays and petitions.
For their suspected role in X’s killing, Michael Boatwright, 27, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24, are going on trial. Each was accused with first-degree murder and armed robbery by the prosecution. They said Newsome pointed a pistol at the rapper and identified Boatwright as the shooter; X’s uncle appeared to corroborate this on the witness stand. However, Boatwright’s lawyer claimed that neither his client nor the shooters could be recognized since they were wearing masks when they shot the rapper. The defense lawyer for Newsome also promised to show that his client wasn’t present when X was killed. Robert Allen, a fourth defendant, pled guilty to second-degree murder last year and will provide testimony in the case.
A number of witnesses took the stand in addition to the opening speeches. According to a Bank of America teller, X first attempted to withdraw $250K in cash. The teller said that the bank didn’t have that much cash on hand though. Prosecutors showed video of X taking money out of the bank the day before he died during the trial.
The suspects stole $50,000 in cash from rapper XXXTENTACION, who put it in a Louis Vuitton duffel bag. Leonard Kerr, another member of X’s family, testified as a witness. When X attempted to buy a car, Kerr went with him to the showroom. When questioned why he went with X, Kerr replied, “His mum requested me to go with him. He recalls telling the rapper to zip up his duffel bag so as to avoid drawing unwanted attention during his testimony.
Kerr also remembered the exact second the shooter approached the car. He said that as soon as he noticed firearms pointed at him, he was able to flee from the vehicle’s passenger side. He went back and discovered XXXTENTACION unconscious inside the car. We’ll keep you informed as soon as we get any new details about the case.