One of the men convicted of murdering Pop Smoke has been released from prison. The brutal murder was triggering to the entire Hip-Hop community, as it ended the life of one of the most promising artists in the industry, back in 2020. So, why was Pop Smoke’s murderer released?
Pop Smoke Murderer Released
Now one of the killers has recently been released and he is not straying away from the spotlight, in fact, he’s embracing it, making sure people know who he is. In May of 2023, three years after the murder, one of the killers of Pop Smoke turned himself in to the authorities. He was 18 years old when he pleaded guilty for the 2020 murder. King Vermont Raskel also known as “BlockStar” was reportedly one of the teenagers involved in the robber and shooting of Pop Smoke in 2020.
At the time of the murder, Blockstar was 15 years-old. Blockstar and two co-defendants were charged as minors, so their names were redacted in trial proceedings. It’s not clear which defendant pulled the trigger.
After his release from prison, BlockStar took to social media to boast about the killing. In the social post, he is seen cutting off his ankle monitor.
The three juvenile suspects were not originally set to be released until they were 25 years old, but we suspect BlockStar to be no older than 21 years-old.
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In his first public comments, which were shared during an interview with No Jumper, Blockstar shared that he was “not sorry about nothing,” when speaking about the Pop Smoke murder.
What Was The Reason For Pop Smoke’s Death?
Although it is unclear as to what the reasoning for Pop Smoke’s death was, law enforcement were still trying to make a connection. The suspects in Pop Smoke’s murder were a part of the South Los Angeles Gang.
On July 31, 2023, another murder surfaced that many thought could be in relation to the Pop Smoke murder. A body was found in a barrel in Malibu — it was said to have been aspiring rapper, Javonnta Murphy who was the brother of Jaquan Murphy — who was one of the suspects in Pop Smoke’s murder case. Javonnta was shot in the head and seemed to have been in the barrel for awhile.
His brother Jaquan was the first person that was charged with the murder of Pop Smoke, but he was later cleared.
Blockstar did seem to provide some clarity about the motive for the murder during the No Jumper interview with Adam22.
“It should’ve never happened, but I ain’t sorry. If I could go back, I’ll go back. But I ain’t sorry. N—s die every day. [Pop Smoke] was rapping about it. All type of sh-t. So, I ain’t sorry about it. I send my condolences to the family. I wish it never happened. But … I don’t regret nothing,”
Blockstar denied reports that the murder was a premeditated hit.
“It was a robbery,” Blockstar shared. “Nobody sent us. Nobody did none of that.”
Upcoming Pop Smoke Murder Trial
For those that might be confused, while the three minor suspects have been sentenced and are serving their time–minus Blockstar who is now released, there is still one suspect who has not faced trial yet.
Corey Walker, who was the only suspect in the case that was charged as an adult, is set to appear in court on August 6th. He has told the courts that he was outside of the Hollywood home as a getaway driver. He alleges that he never left the car and that he told the teen shooter to use a “flower vase” for defense and not a gun.
Corey’s defense lawyer, Christopher Darden, argued that Corey did not plan the robbery and in the worst case scenario stayed seated outside in the vehicle in the driver’s seat.
Corey Walker’s trial date is set for August 6th.
Main Image Credit: Pascal Le Segretain / Staff via Getty Images
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