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 Thursday.
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.
Jurors heard graphic testimony from the Broward County Medical Examiner.
They also heard from XXXTentacion’s aunt, who had to identify a photo of the slain rapper after his death.
A Broward Sheriff’s Office firearms examiner also testified to forensic evidence related to the bullets and casings found on the scene.
The case seems to be on a faster timeline than expected: Originally expected to last through March, the judge told jurors they can expect to have the case in their hands by mid-March.
Wednesday:
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.