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The murder trial for one of the men charged in rapper Pop Smoke's 2020 death is scheduled for August after plea negotiations fell apart.
Corey Walker, the only adult defendant charged in Pop Smoke's murder appeared in court Friday in Los Angeles after plea negotiations with prosecutors fell apart. The 23-year-old's trial date is now set for August 6 and is expected to last three and a half weeks.
"Negotiations fell through, but there's still a possibility we'll come to an agreement," lawyer Deion Benjamin, who's representing Walker with co-counsel Kellen Davis, told Rolling Stone. "A few things need to be ironed out. If they don't get resolved, we'll go to trial."
Walker has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, two counts of robbery, and one count of burglary. He allegedly recruited the three juveniles to rob Pop Smoke and sat in the getaway car during the fatal robbery.
Detectives wired-tapped Walker's phone and learned he also committed other robberies.
Newsweek has contacted Benjamin and Universal Music Group for comment.
Who was Pop Smoke?
Born Bashar Barakah Jackson, Pop Smoke was a rising star when he was shot and killed during an invasion robbery at a Hollywood Hills mansion in the early hours of Feb. 19, 2020. The people who broke into the home wore ski masks and confronted Pop Smoke while he was in a shower. A 15-year-old boy allegedly pistol-whipped him and shot the rapper in the head three times.
Pop Smoke was just 20 years old and posthumously earned his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon. His songs Dior, What You Know Bout Love, and For The Night all have over 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Meanwhile, Pop Smoke's alleged killer has reportedly been released from a juvenile detention center after what appears to be his 21st birthday.
The now 21-year-old released from the Secure Youth Treatment Facility in California was allegedly one of the three juveniles involved in Pop Smoke's murder. He presumably was the 15-year-old shooter at the time and admitted in May 2023 to shooting the rapper.
A source told Rolling Stone that the second juvenile, 16 at the time, settled his case and went to juvenile lockup as well. The third, a 17-year-old at the time, admitted to voluntary manslaughter and home invasion robbery at an April 2023 hearing. They were all expected to be incarcerated until they turned 25.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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