Pop Smoke Murder Tied To Recent Killing Of LA Rapper Found Dead In Barrel
Pop Smoke’s tragic murder in 2020 could be connected to the recent killing of a California man whose body was discovered earlier this month stuffed inside a barrel in Malibu.
According to TMZ, Javonnta Murphy’s remains were discovered at Malibu Lagoon State Beach, where a park worker first found the 55-gallon container floating in the water. The outlet reports Murphy, an up-and-coming LA rapper, is the brother of Jaquan Murphy, one of five people who were arrested following the murder of the Brooklyn rapper. Jaquan was cleared of all charges related to Pop’s death following his arrest.
While Jaquan Murphy was found not to be involved, investigators are now investigating whether his brother’s death had any connection to Pop Smoke’s killing.
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"L.A. County Sheriff's Department's investigators are currently looking into the possibility Javonnta's murder was a retaliation killing for Pop's murder," TMZ reports. "Of course, it's not their only theory, but definitely one they're digging into."
The news comes just a few months after an 18-year-old man was charged with Pop Smoke’s murder admitted to the crime in juvenile court.
According to City News Service, on May 12, the man, whose name was not released due to his juvenile status (age 15 at the time of the shooting death incident), admitted to a first-degree murder charge stemming from the February 19, 2020 killing of the rising Brooklyn rapper (born Bashar Barakah Jackson). He also admitted to a home-invasion robbery charge and an allegation that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm during the crime.
He is expected to be held in a state juvenile facility until his 25th birthday.
The outlet reports that during the hearing, L.A. County Superior Court Judge J. Christopher Smith told the 18-year-old, along with his 19-year-old co-defendant, “That man lost his life over no good reason. … You have no right to take somebody’s life. You have no right to take somebody’s property.”
The pair of men, along with a 20-year-old man who pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and another count of home-invasion robbery during an April 6, 2023-dated hearing, could also both remain in custody until they turn 25.
A fourth man, Corey Walker (who was 19 at the time of the crime), is being charged in adult court and is now 22.
