It seems that relatives of the only adult suspect in the murder trial of rapper Pop Smoke are requesting to speak with Pop’s parents.
According to the New York Daily News, the family of Corey Walker, the 20-year-old suspect in the case, has announced via Walker’s lawyer that they wish to convey their sympathies to Pop Smoke’s family in person.
“The Walker family has asked me to contact the victim’s family so that they might speak privately. I hope to reach out to the family soon,” said Christopher Darden, Walker’s attorney. When asked for commentary, Pop Smoke’s mother, Audrey Jackson, seemed unsure of how to feel about the request. “This is new information to me,” the schoolteacher told The News. “I’m working on a lesson plan right now. That is my focus. I really can’t say.”
Darden did add that he is aware that the request is a heavy ask of Pop’s family, saying, “They might need time. I will also understand if [his mom] is not inclined to have that conversation. Everything we have done and said has been done and said while keeping in mind the great respect we have for the victim and the victim’s family.”
While the issue is emotionally complex, it is worth pointing out that when someone commits a heinous crime such as the one that took Pop Smoke’s life, they are victimizing their family as well. Walker’s family is surely suffering alongside Jackson, even if that sense of loss is to a different extent.
Walker’s arraignment has been postponed until July 6th, and Darden is asking prosecutors to formally state that they do not intend to pursue the death penalty. A preliminary hearing revealed many details about the case, including Walker’s role in the plans to rob the rapper in his rental home in Los Angeles after he posted pictures of himself with expensive jewelry on Instagram.
However, Darden is arguing that Walker was only the driver in the operation and never intended for anyone to get shot. The other defendants in the case were all minors at the time, and therefore their identities are being withheld, and they are subject to a different judicial process.
