Three men have been found guilty of murdering American rapper XXXTentacion.
The 20-year-old singer-songwriter, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, was shot dead during a robbery outside his South home Florida 2018 motorcycle shop.
Michael Boatwright, 28, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsom, 24, were all found guilty of first-degree murder and armed robbery on Monday.
They will be sentenced to life in prison at a later date.
(L to R): Trayvon Newsome (Photo: AP), Michael Boatwright and Dedrick Williams
During the month-long trial, prosecutors linked the men to a shooting outside Riva Motorsports in suburban Fort Lauderdale, where they robbed the rapper of $50,000 on June 18, 2018.
He was leaving a motorcycle shop with a friend when a car swerved in front of his BMW and blocked him.
Surveillance footage showed two masked gunmen confronting the rapper at the window of his driver’s car.
One of the gunmen shot him multiple times before the group snatched a Louis Vuitton bag containing cash withdrawn from the bank by XXXTentacion.
The group then fled the scene.
Investigators at the scene of the 2018 shooting.Image: Associated Press
Jurors were shown CCTV footage taken inside and outside the store, as well as phone footage taken by the robbers, showing them waving a handful of $100 bills in the hours after the killing.
A fourth person — a former friend of the accused who said he was involved in the robbery — also gave evidence against them at trial.
Robert Allen said the men set out to rob that day, then went to a motorcycle store to buy a mask for Williams when they spotted the rapper and decided to target him.
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Allen and Williams walked into the store to confirm it was him.
They then returned to their hired vehicle, waited for XXXTentacion to appear and ambushed him, the court was told.
Allen pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year. He was not sentenced until the end of the trial.
Tributes left on site in 2018.Image: Associated Press
The rapper, who goes by the name “Ex-ex-ex ten-ta-see-YAWN,” is a platinum-selling rising star who tackles issues like prejudice and depression in his songs.
He has also faced criticism for multiple arrests, including allegations of severe beating and abuse of his girlfriend.
After his death, his mother Cleopatra Bernard revealed he would be a father, writing on her Instagram account: “He left us a final gift.”
It is not yet known who the child’s mother is.