The Canadian hip-hop star (full identify Aubrey Drake Graham) has been referred to as to look in court docket or be deposed owing to his alleged connection to the case, in accordance with paperwork obtained by Rolling Stone. XXXTentacion, (actual identify Jahseh Onfroy) was killed on June 18, 2018, outdoors a Pompano Beach bike dealership throughout a botched theft. Three suspects, Michael Boatwright, Trayvon Newsome, and Dedrick Williams, have pleaded not responsible to fees of first-degree homicide and armed theft with a firearm. A fourth suspect, Robert Allen, accepted a plea deal this previous August and testified towards his co-conspirators on February 8.
It was Williams’ protection lawyer, Mauricio Padilla, who superior a principle that Drake is one way or the other concerned within the homicide, opposite to prosecutors’ proof, which incorporates eyewitness stories, surveillance digicam footage, and GPS knowledge that locations a number of of the suspects on the scene of the crime — to not point out Allen’s detailed confession. Animosity between the 2 rappers dates again to 2017, when X accused Drake of plagiarizing his music “Look At Me.” In 2018, Onfroy declared in an Instagram Story, “If anybody tries to kill me it was @champagnepapi (referring to Drake’s Instagram account). I’m snitching proper now.” Onfroy later deleted the submit and others and claimed his account had been hacked.
Padilla, who claims prosecutors failed to analyze Onfroy’s claims correctly, first tried to subpoena Drake on the finish of January. After the rapper failed to look for the deposition, Judge Michael Usan granted the protection an “order to indicate trigger” on February 9. Drake should now seem for a deposition on February 24 or in court docket on February 27 or danger being held in contempt.
Drake’s involvement is the newest flip in a trial that already has seen loads of drama. The protection’s earlier techniques have included a failed try by Boatwright’s lawyer Joseph Kimok to have him declared unfit to face trial, in addition to a rejected movement to have every suspect tried individually. All three face life in jail with no chance of parole if discovered responsible.
Onfroy was no stranger to authorized troubles throughout his brief life. At the time of his demise, he confronted fees of home violence and witness tampering. New Times has exhaustively coated Onfroy’s life and demise since his rise to fame in late 2016; you may learn an annotated timeline of our protection right here.Â