FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Testimony in the murder trial of three men accused of killing South Florida rapper XXXTentacion continued at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday.
Detectives arrested Trayvon Newsome, 24, Dedrick Williams, 26, Robert Allen, 26, and Michael Boatwright, 28, for the murder, but only Allen pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is a witness in the case. The others are going to trial.
Detectives say the group ambushed and robbed the rapper, whose real name is Jahseh Onfroy, shortly before 4 p.m., on June 18, 2018, outside of RIVA Motorsports in Deerfield Beach.
John Curcio, one of the lead detectives in the case, again took the stand during Wednesday’s proceedings, testifying about evidence obtained in the case.
“The two different timelines mirrored each other,” Curcio said. “When the phone arrived, the car, the journey is seen, when the phone leaves Riva, the journey is leaving Riva.”
Defense attorneys have been doing their best to pick the state’s case apart, even referencing an alleged beef between XXXTentacion and famous rapper Drake.
A defense attorney asked Curcio if he was aware of social media posts XXXTentacion made regarding the supposed bad blood between the two rappers.
“The first was allegedly ‘if something happens to me, Drake did it, or if I get killed, Drake did it’ and the second one was ‘my account has been hacked,’ again I’m paraphrasing, ‘I have no problem with Drake,’” Curcio testified.
Tuesday:
The trial picked up where it left off Friday afternoon.
In court Tuesday, prosecutors played Instagram videos of Williams showing thousands of dollars in cash.
Broward Sheriff’s Office Detective Walter Foster testified that Williams’ attire on the day of the murder helped identify him.
“He was wearing a white or gray tank top and some dark colored pants and some orange slides or slippers,” Foster said.
Foster said detectives were able to trace Williams’ cell phone before and after the crime.
“After the shooting, the phone now starts traveling back south toward Fort Lauderdale,” Foster testified.