A Los Angeles jury found Freddie Lee Trone, 42, guilty of sending his 17-year-old son to kill rapper PnB Rock almost two years ago. Trone faced multiple charges, including murder, second-degree robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery.
On September 12, 2022, PnB Rock, whose real name is Rakim Hasheem Allen, was eating at Compton’s Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles restaurant with his girlfriend, who is the mother of his four-year-old child. A teen, wearing a ski mask, demanded the artist’s jewelry and opened fire. Trone allegedly took items from the victim before fleeing in a getaway car.
Less than an hour later, doctors pronounced the 30-year-old rapper dead after he sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Prosecutors argued he was acting on his father’s orders, while Trone’s defense team claimed he was only an accessory after the crimes.
Trone’s lawyer, Winston McKesson, told the Associated Press, “There’s no evidence there was a conversation about murder; no evidence there was a conversation about a gun.”
McKesson added, “There is no evidence he gave his son a gun, and no evidence he told him to shoot the guy. The only evidence the jury found is that he dropped him off and picked him up.”
Additionally, Trone stated during his testimony on Monday that his son’s actions did not involve him in any way.
“I wasn’t there. I didn’t tell nobody to do nothing. I didn’t hand nobody no gun,” Trone said.
A third man involved, Tremont Jones, was also found guilty on two counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery. Jones wasn’t charge with the murder of the 30-year-old rapper. Prosecutors argued that Jones had seen the rapper at the restaurant and passed the information to Trone, describing the jewelry the artist was wearing. Jones’ lawyer, David Haas, states that he will file a motion, according to NBC News.
BBC News reports that the court has not yet found the now-19-year-old teen competent to stand trial. The court plans to sentence both Trone and Jones on August 27th. The court has scheduled a mental competency proceeding for the teenager involved in the murder for August 28th.
The Philadelphia rapper was best known for his 2016 hit “Selfish” and his cameo appearances on songs such as YFN Lucci’s “Everyday We Lit” and Ed Sheeran’s “Cross Me” with Chance the Rapper.