MALIBU, CALIFORNIA: Los Angeles authorities have launched an investigation into a potential connection between the 2020 murder of Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke, 20, and the recent discovery of a naked body found stuffed in a barrel floating off a Malibu beach. The grim discovery has ignited speculation that it might be a retaliation for Pop Smoke's murder, shedding light on a complex web of criminal activities surrounding the case.
The remains, identified as singer-songwriter Javonnta Murphy, 32, have raised unsettling questions about his ties to the murder of Pop Smoke. Murphy was the brother of Jaquan Murphy, who was initially arrested in connection with the rapper's murder but later cleared of any involvement. However, Jaquan still faces a separate trial for an unrelated murder in Los Angeles County.
Discovery of Javonnta Murphy's remains
Meanwhile, his younger brother's lifeless body was discovered unclothed, tightly packed within a 55-gallon drum that floated near the Pacific Coast Highway bridge. The drum had caught the attention of sanitation workers on July 30, but it was only the following morning, as lifeguards ventured to retrieve it, that they realized the weight it bore. "It didn't look decomposed or like it had been there for a long time," homicide investigator Hugo Raynaga said, as per Daily Mail.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department homicide detectives speculate that the tide's movement might have propelled the barrel from the ocean to the Malibu Lagoon. Nevertheless, critical details regarding Murphy's cause of death, the duration his body had been within the barrel, and its point of origin remain enigmatic. Ex-Mayor Jefferson Wagner recalled when he first saw the barrel he thought it was a dangerous waste bin. "This isn't normal for Malibu," he said, adding he was "really troubled. This doesn't usually happen. Bodies in a barrel, it's just sad."
Who is Jaquan Murphy?
Murphy's brother, Jaquan, 24, was one of five people arrested for Pop Smoke's murder. The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department has initiated an inquiry into the possibility that Murphy's killing was linked to the vendetta against Pop Smoke, whose real name was Bashar Barakah Jackson. The rapper was tragically killed in a suspected home invasion in Hollywood Hills in February 2020. Masked assailants stormed the residence he had rented, resulting in his untimely death.
The investigation that ensued led to the arrest of two men and two teenagers, all belonging to the same street gang. They had reportedly learned about Pop Smoke's whereabouts through his Instagram account, specifically from an image of a gift bag that revealed his Airbnb address, and saw that he had a stack of cash with him. This prompted them to target the rapper's residence, where they confronted him during the early morning hours.
Pop Smoke's fatal encounter
According to law enforcement, a 911 call was made by an acquaintance of a resident present at the house to report intruders. The rapper's lifeless body was discovered shortly after, and he was subsequently pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital. One of the arrested individuals, a now-20-year-old whose identity remains concealed as he was still a juvenile, confessed to his role in the robbery scheme. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and home invasion robbery, receiving a sentence of four years and two months at the Secure Youth Treatment Facility in Los Angeles.
The investigation also revealed that Pop Smoke's murder involved a violent struggle. The attackers, wearing ski masks, confronted the rapper while he was in the shower. Despite initial compliance, the rapper fought back and was eventually shot, leading to his tragic demise. Prosecutors asserted that Corey Walker, the lone adult defendant in the case, was captured in a covertly recorded jailhouse interview where he supposedly confessed to his involvement in the killing.
'He shot the victim three times with a Beretta 9mm'
Walker reportedly acknowledged that the group used ski masks and a police scanner to evade capture. During a 2021 testimony, LAPD Detective Carlos Camacho revealed, "He said that when the individuals got inside, the suspects confronted (Pop Smoke), who was in the shower naked." According to Walker's account of the incident, at one juncture, it seemed as if Pop Smoke was complying with demands to hand over his jewelry, which he still had on. However, the rapper counterattacked and "rushed" the intruders.
He was then pistol-whipped and, as per Walker's account, a 15-year-old shot him in the chest. Moreover, the teenager is also purported to have admitted his role in the homicide during an interview with a cellmate in a juvenile detention center. Camacho testified during a preliminary hearing, "He admitted that he shot the victim three times with a Beretta 9mm."
"They got into a fight, and he shot him three times... He said he shot him in the back," he added. The 15-year-old further confessed to the detective that they demanded jewelry and engaged in a confrontation with Pop Smoke. Keandre Rodgers also faced charges linked to the murder and robbery. Both Rodgers and Walker now face the possibility of the death penalty or a lifetime behind bars without the prospect of parole.
