The murder trial for one of the four individuals charged in connection to the killing of Pop Smoke is set to begin in Los Angeles on June 25th. Rolling Stone reported the news regarding the rapper’s death, whose real name is Bashar Jackson. Jackson was shot multiple times on February 19th, 2020, during a home invasion.
The suspects allegedly broke into the house at approximately 4:30 AM EST, after Jackson shared his location on a rented property in Hollywood Hills on Instagram. The attackers then shot Jackson and allegedly stole a diamond-studded Rolex during the attack. The 20-year-old rapper was left critically injured and later passed away at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Five arrests were initially made in connection with Jackson’s death, of which four were charged with murder. Two unnamed suspects were allegedly teenagers at the time, aged 15 and 17, and confessed to their involvement in the musician’s death since then. Both of these men were charged as juveniles due to their age at the time of the crime. In contrast, the two named adult suspects, Keandre Rodgers and Corey Walker, have not been convicted yet. However, Walker’s trial date has been set, marking him as the “sole defendant charged as an adult.”
During the recent court hearing, prosecutors claimed that Walker “facilitated the crimes by not only surveilling the crime scene before the crimes were committed but serving as the researcher, getaway driver, weapons provider, and planner of this home invasion robbery.” Walker pleaded not guilty to one count of murder and three counts related to the alleged home-invasion robbery. His former lawyer, Christopher Darden, claimed that his client was the getaway driver and “did not plan this crime.”
The trial of the four defendants serves as a landmark case for music and law enforcement. It is still unclear if the other three defendants will receive the same sentence as Walker. The music industry continues to mourn Jackson, as he was on his way to becoming one of the biggest stars in hip hop before his untimely passing
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