XXXTENTACION was fatally shot outside of RIVA Motorsports in Deerfield Beach, Florida on June 18, 2018. Four suspects—Trayvon Newsome, Robert Allen, Dedrick Williams and Michael Boatwright—were indicted for the slaying just a month later. But according to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, Newsome is attempting to separate himself from two of his co-defendants. Filed in November, the docs are asking Judge Michael A. Usan to sever Newsome from the others.
“The defendant, Trayvon Newsome, does not feel he will get a fair trial if tried in a multiple defendant trial,” the paperwork reads. “The evidence against Mr. Newsome differs substantially from the evidence against the remaining 2 co-defendants. While their cell phone data records place them at the scene of the shooting, Mr. Newsome’s does not.”
The docs also claim the severance is necessary to “promote a fair determination of the guilt or innocence of each defendant.” Newsome’s legal team also believes, “the defendant’s defense will be compromised and his ability to testify in his own defense will be diminished in a co-defendant trial.”
Newsome was arrested in August 2018 on charges of murder in the first degree and robbery with a deadly weapon. He turned himself in to Broward County authorities with his attorney present.
In August, Allen agreed to testify against Newsome and his other co-defendants in hopes of getting a reduced sentence.
“Mr. Allen’s role in this, it was much less than the other three,” attorney Jim Lewis told NBC Miami. “More of an accessory after the fact than really part of the planning. Certainly, he never got out of the car, never had a gun, never shot anybody.”
The sentencing is scheduled for February 23, 2023.