Pop Smoke’s murder suspect might escape getting the death penalty.
One of the men who has been accused of the murder of Pop Smoke has escaped the death penalty. Corey Walker, who previously asked that the charge of murder against him be dropped back in May, was facing the death penalty for the influential rapper’s 2020 murder. His appeal to have the charge dropped was eventually denied.
Now it looks like the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has decided not to seek the death penalty at all for Walker. The judgement was made today, July 6, at the 20-year-old defendant’s hearing. The Shade Room was present in the courtroom and revealed the information on their Instagram page. Walker only learned of his new fate as he appeared for an arraignment hearing.
Walker, two juveniles, and another adult have been charged with Pop Smoke’s murder. It is believed that Pop Smoke was slain for his Rolex watch, which they eventually sold for $2,000 in a robbery that went wrong.
According to the prosecution for the case, the new sentence that Walker faces, Deputy District Attorney Hilary Williams, if he’s found guilty is life without parole. Walker will appear in court again, tomorrow Wednesday, July 7, where he is expected to enter a formal plea of guilty. The delay seems to have been caused by an error with the court documents.
As the case progresses, more startling facts have emerged, like the fact that the alleged gunman was a 15-year-old. He allegedly confessed his involvement during a recorded interview with a cellmate at a juvenile detention center in May 2020. He is the youngest of the accused.
“He admitted that he shot the victim three times with a Baretta 9 (mm.),” LAPD Detective Carlos Camacho testified at a preliminary hearing for Walker. “They got into a fight, and he shot him three times,” Camacho added. He also revealed that: “He said he shot him on the back.”
Pop Smoke was shot and killed in February last year in what appears to be a home invasion robbery. The New York drill rapper was 20 years old at the time of his death.
