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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla.<\/strong> \u2013 A jury on Friday found four men guilty of the murder of Jacksonville rapper Charles \u201cJulio Foolio\u201d Jones<\/a>.<\/p>\n Click here for all Julio Foolio coverage.<\/b><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n A jury found Isaiah Chance, 23, Sean Gathright, 20, Rashad Murphy, 32, and Davion Murphy, 29, guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy charges in the fatal shooting death of Jones on June 23, 2024, in an ambush attack while he was celebrating his birthday.<\/p>\n All four will return to court on Monday at 1 p.m. for the penalty phase.<\/p>\n Court documents said the attack was in retaliation for an ongoing Jacksonville gang war between 6Block and allied gangs, Ace\u2019s Top Killers (ATK), and 1200.<\/p>\n Jones is a known and documented member of the 6Block gang. <\/p>\n In Oct. 2025, a jury found Alicia Andrews guilty of manslaughter<\/a> for acting as a lookout and tracking Jones\u2019 location before he was killed. She was set to be sentenced in Dec. 2025, but her attorneys filed an appeal saying Judge Michelle Sisco was biased and her conduct prevented them from having a fair trial.<\/p>\n Court records show that on Jan. 29, Judge Kimberly Fernandez was named the new judge, but a new sentencing date has not been set.<\/p>\n Prosecutors filed a motion to reverse the decision.<\/p>\n This story will be updated as the trial continues.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n The state showed text messages from the defendants that showed their alleged roles in the planning of the shooting.<\/p>\n Prosecutors said Gathright and Chance were trying to figure out where Jones was in Tampa. The state also showed text messages from Andrews, who booked the Airbnb in Tampa.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a real gang war going on in Jacksonville,\u201d the prosecutor said. \u201cATK and 1200 are at way with 6Block. It is blatant.\u201d<\/p>\n She referenced the social media posts in the early morning hours after Jones was killed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see photographs of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady [on Rashad Murphy\u2019s Instagram], the GOAT being posted…you see laughing emojis…there is nothing fun about the gang war in Jacksonville and on June 23 in 2024, this violence spilled into Tampa,\u201d the prosecutor said.<\/p>\n Rashad Murphy\u2019s defense<\/b><\/p>\n Rashad Murphy\u2019s defense attorney is arguing that he can not be placed in Tampa at 4:40 a.m. on the day of the shooting based on the evidence that was presented.<\/p>\n He said that Rashad Murphy\u2019s phone was not tracked from Jacksonville to Tampa during any relevant time of the murder. Defense said that Rashad Murphy originally lied to JSO about being in Tampa when he really wasn\u2019t because he was afraid of being tied to the shooting. But he told Detective Drabek that his account was used to book the Airbnb and he thought his silver Chevy Cruze was being used to go to Martin Correctional Institute to take items to his incarcerated brother.<\/p>\n Rashad Murphy was seen entering a Jacksonville Walmart a few days before buying items that were found in the car while it was in Tampa. The defense maintained that Rashad Murphy thought those items were going to his brother in the Martin Correctional Institute.<\/p>\n The defense showed text messages that corroborate that with his incarcerated brother asking Rashad Murphy where the items were because he never received them.<\/p>\n The defense attorney said that JSO Detective Ramos testified that he can not definitively prove that Rashad Murphy was in either the black Impala or the silver Chevy Cruze that traveled to Tampa or any other day relative to Jones\u2019 murder.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no video in this case at any juncture that would identify Rashad Murphy outside of a guy wearing all black,\u201d Rashad Murphy\u2019s defense said.<\/p>\n Sean Gathright\u2019s defense<\/b><\/p>\n Gathright\u2019s lawyer said that he had nothing to do with the shooting and he compared him to a puzzle piece that doesn\u2019t fit into the larger picture.<\/p>\n \u201cLaw enforcement might have searched that car and searched that house and thought \u2018man, we got a puzzle piece,\u2019 but it doesn\u2019t fit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He also said that Gathright\u2019s phone was never collected into evidence and that detectives relied on cell tower mappings, which detectives testified can be unreliable.<\/p>\n His lawyer said that Gathright\u2019s phone pinged a cell tower on the north end of the University of South Florida\u2019s campus.<\/p>\n He also showed a still from the video of an accused shooter holding a rifle and he argued that the rifles that Gathright owns and was found in his home by police, do not match the shape of the rifle that can be seen in the video.<\/p>\n Gathright\u2019s defense said that he was going to his grandmother\u2019s house in Polk County to swap out cars for his pressure washing business, then to his sister\u2019s party in Orlando. He then went to Tampa with his friend, Chance and had no idea about the planned shooting.<\/p>\n His defense also established that Gathright is not a member of any of the gangs involved in the conflict.<\/p>\n \u201cDetective Ramos said they didn\u2019t know who Sean Gathright was until Tampa police brought him up,\u201d the attorney said.<\/p>\n The defense said that the guns and gun parts recovered from the house that Gathright shares with his mother had no connection to the shooting in Tampa.<\/p>\n Isiah Chance\u2019s defense<\/b><\/p>\n Chance\u2019s lawyer said that Jones was not his rival, as the prosecution said.<\/p>\n The defense said that Chance was not part of a surveillance team to track Jones because Jones posted the flyer of where he was performing.<\/p>\n He also said Chance doesn\u2019t legally qualify to be a documented gang member because he doesn\u2019t have any tattoos to signify it and the arresting JSO officer didn\u2019t document it.<\/p>\n He said the state can not prove that Chance knew about the shooting and they could only prove that he was in Tampa in the car with Andrews, with an unknown driver.<\/p>\n Davion Murphy\u2019s defense<\/b><\/p>\n His defense attorney said that Davion Murphy was at the Airbnb and he drove the Chevy Cruze back to Jacksonville. The attorney maintained that he is not seen with any weapons and there is no social media posts related to the shooting attached to him, no DNA evidence found and no text messages.<\/p>\n His defense said that he couldn\u2019t have been the third shooter because in an interview with JSO, he is seen writing with his left hand and the third shooter in the video is right-handed.<\/p>\n Amara Drew of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement testified to the weapons and ammunition used in the shooting.<\/p>\n Detective Craig Griffin testified to the Gathright traffic stop. He was also assigned to watch the Cut Throat Committee (CTC) and 1200 gangs. Griffin also talked about the connections between Rashad and Davion Murphy.<\/p>\n Griffin said that Davion Murphy has tattoos of deceased 1200 gang members.<\/p>\n The state rested its case.<\/p>\n JSO Detective Juan Ramos returned to the stand as he reviewed Instagram posts and text messages between the defendants and from Jones. The messages also showed that Andrews was the one who booked the Airbnb on June 21, 2024.<\/p>\n JSO Detective Richard Meader is assigned to watch the ATK gang and their actions. Meader also talked about Chance\u2019s connections to ATK.<\/p>\n JSO Detective Trey McCullough is assigned to watch the 6Block gang and responded to the war between ATK\/1200 and 6Block.<\/p>\n Robert Howard, also known as Kenny Caps, took the stand and talked about his connections to the people involved in the case. He said he had known Jones since they were kids, but he denied knowing Chance personally, but knew him as \u201cGutta.\u201d <\/p>\n Howard said he went down to Tampa with Jones and described leaving a club and riding in another car toward the hotel complex where the shooting happened.<\/p>\n He said he heard gunshots and described what he witnessed during the shooting. He also talked with Rashad Murphy after the shooting.<\/p>\n Prosecutor:<\/b> What did he say during the call itself?<\/p>\n Howard:<\/b> He forgives me again. He forgives me. And where was I?<\/p>\n P:<\/b> Did you understand where were you to be about? Or did he give you any kind of context when he said where were you?<\/p>\n RH:<\/b> Where was I? I was around.<\/p>\n RH:<\/b> Stuff like he seen me.<\/p>\n P: <\/b>Where?<\/p>\n RH:<\/b> Walking down the stairs of the club I guess. He said he seen me by the club. Seen me at the club.<\/p>\n P:<\/b> Did he say what you were doing at the club when he saw you?<\/p>\n RH:<\/b> He said I was paying attention.<\/p>\n P:<\/b> Then did he make any statements about the Hotel2Suites? The homicide scene? The location?<\/p>\n RH:<\/b> Yeah, he said that that was him in front of that car.<\/p>\n P:<\/b> Did you have any idea what he was talking about?<\/p>\n RH:<\/b> I kind of did yes ma\u2019am.<\/p>\n During cross-examination, the defense questioned his credibility. They questioned the timing of his statements and why he waited to share this information while pointing to the federal charges he already faces.<\/p>\n Tampa police who went to the scene and followed up with the victims testified about their findings. Detective Craig Griffin said he helped stop a gold Toyota 4Runner after receiving a tip that it may be connected to the murder.<\/p>\n The driver was identified as Sean Gathright. He complied with officers and exited the car. Police searched the car and found a Glock 9mm and a bag with loose ammunition, magazines and gun parts in the back seat. <\/p>\n A search warrant was obtained for a house linked to Chance, where Andrews was present.<\/p>\n Griffin said the evidence found in the car gave probable cause for Gathright\u2019s arrest and he was taken into custody that day.<\/p>\n Noah Reilly, the medical examiner, took the stand and described all the gunshot wounds to Jones. <\/p>\n JSO Gang Unit Detective Christopher Drabek returned to the stand and testified that Rashad Murphy was taken into custody by SWAT after a long standoff. Drabek said in his interview with Rashad Murphy, he initially denied key details like being in Tampa or booking the Airbnb, but he changed his story when they showed him evidence and cellphone records.<\/p>\n Drabek pointed out that Rashad Murphy switched hands when writing during the interview, which stood out to him because surveillance footage showed the gunman using his left hand.<\/p>\n Drabek also identified social media posts that he interpreted as celebrating Jones\u2019 death and shared his findings with Tampa police.<\/p>\n The defense argued that the social media posts could mean different things and that Drabek couldn\u2019t link one of the accounts to Rashad Murphy, suggesting that his findings were based on interpretation, rather than solid proof.<\/p>\n Detective Juan Ramos returned to the stand and identified a silver BMW linked to Isaiah Chance coming and going from a residence tied to the investigation. People associated with the investigation could be seen exiting the BMW, entering the home and unloading items into the car.<\/p>\n Ramos talked about how the evidence links Rashad Murphy and others to the homicide investigation. The defense questioned the weaknesses in the case, pointing to a lack of visual identification and no forensic confirmation.<\/p>\n Ramos acknowledged the holes in the investigation, including no search warrants for Rashad Murphy\u2019s home and uncertainty about who booked the Airbnb.<\/p>\n Detective Christopher Drabek is in JSO\u2019s gang unit and his role is to monitor gang activity on social media. He said they were aware of the planned birthday trip to Tampa. Drabek also said they recorded a Twitter Spaces argument between Jones and Chance, which showed ongoing tensions between the rival groups.<\/p>\n Jacksonville Sheriff\u2019s Office Detective Richard Needer returned to the stand and talked about how \u201cdrill rap videos\u201d are often about disrespecting rival gangs, and it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean they committed it.<\/p>\n The defense said that Jones had many enemies due to what he posted on social media and his gang ties. They also said that many shootings tied to the gang feuds remain unsolved, which weakens any direct link between the lyrics and real crimes.<\/p>\n Attorneys questioned Needer\u2019s methods, emphasizing that his knowledge came from social media and interpretation, not firsthand involvement in the crimes.<\/p>\n Needer clarified that he did not alter lyrics and only corrected obvious transcription errors and used training and experience to interpret gang-related content.<\/p>\n Officer Jael Bahamundi said that he helped arrest Rashad Murphy using a license plate reader alert tied to a car connected to a felony in Tampa. He said Murphy got out of the car at a hotel in Tampa and ran on foot.<\/p>\n Detective Angela Carter said after Rashad Murphy\u2019s arrest, she found a phone in the car that was running a maps app and had references to Jones, an AR-style rifle photo, ID images and an Airbnb booking.<\/p>\n Detective Taylor Kline said he tracked the defendants\u2019 phones and surveillance footage showed a silver Chevrolet Cruze going through a McDonald\u2019s drive-thru with an unconfirmed number of people inside, but there was at least two.<\/a> Kline also admitted that cellphone location data isn\u2019t exact and may contain errors.<\/p>\n Detective Juan Ramos took the stand and identified social media posts leading up to the night of his murder. Ramos also said they reviewed surveillance footage that mapped Jones\u2019 movements and the suspects\u2019 cars, which shows coordinated activity leading up to the shooting.<\/p>\n Day two included continued statements from Alverson, victims, and witnesses.<\/p>\n Alverson said forensics found 31 9mm shell casings and projectile fragments linking the gunfire to three shooters and two vehicles, a Chevrolet Impala and a Chevrolet Cruze.<\/p>\n Investigators used a Tesla\u2019s \u201cSentry Mode\u201d and hotel surveillance footage to track the shooters\u2019 movements and the concussive blast from a rifle fired by a third shooter was powerful enough to trigger a nearby car\u2019s alarm.<\/p>\n Alverson said the Dodge Charger, which Jones was in, fled under fire before stopping with him in a defensive position inside.<\/p>\n He said there was property damage and bullet holes in occupied hotel rooms and bystander vehicles.<\/p>\n Two witnesses who knew Jones, but did not want to be identified, said they traveled to Tampa from Jacksonville for his birthday celebration.<\/p>\n Camilla Bentley, a shooting victim, said she was in Tampa for a girls\u2019 trip and ended up at Airbnb parties and clubs with Jones\u2019 group through a friend. She said that she was sitting in a car at the hotel when the gunfire went off. She escaped, but was shot in the right arm during the attack. Bentley also said she never saw the shooters.<\/p>\n Audra Agramente was a guest in the hotel that night with her husband and her daughter\u2019s boyfriend while helping her daughter move into the University of South Florida. Agramente said they were awakened by the gunshots and a bullet struck their room window.<\/p>\n Other officers and witnesses testified, including Jacksonville Sheriff\u2019s Office detectives involved with the 2019 murder investigation of Adrian Gaynor, 17, on Jacksonville\u2019s Northside.<\/p>\n The prosecution gave opening statements saying that Jones was killed in a targeted and coordinated ambush while celebrating his birthday in Tampa. The defendants are accused of stalking and following Jones and firing dozens of rounds into his car while he was trapped inside. The state previewed evidence for the jury, including surveillance footage<\/a>, phone data and videos that prosecutors said show the defendants stalking the victim to coordinate their attack. After the shooting, the accused gunmen returned to a rented Airbnb and then split up to return to Jacksonville.<\/p>\n Chance\u2019s defense attorney said the prosecution can\u2019t prove that he was involved in the murder and they blamed Rashad Murphy for the plan.<\/p>\n Tampa Police Officer Brian Godcharles took the stand and said he responded to a shots-fired call at the Home 2 Suites and Holiday Inn complex to secure a large crime scene.<\/p>\n He said he saw a black Dodge Charger with bullet holes and identified a nearby Hyundai Sonata connected to witnesses.<\/p>\n Godcharles said he found pistol shell casings near a portico and found car debris consistent with a possible collision and confirmed bullet damage to hotel windows, which he said indicates that shots were fired toward both vehicles and the building.<\/p>\n Officer Zachary Conaway responded to the scene and said officers were briefed beforehand about potential threats involving Jones and rival groups. Officers also found two gunshot victims who needed immediate medical attention.<\/p>\n Detective David Alverson said they reviewed surveillance footage showing suspects fleeing a vehicle and entering the hotel. They also followed a blood trail from the car through the lobby up to the third floor, where more victims were found. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.<\/p>\nDay 10 – Closing arguments<\/h3>\n
Day 9 – Guns and ammunition used in the shooting, Gathright traffic stop<\/h3>\n
Day 8 – JSO Gang Unit detectives talk about the conflicts between gangs<\/h3>\n
Day 7 – Witness says he talked with Rashad Murphy after the shooting<\/h3>\n
Day 6 – Tampa police follow up with victims, Sean Gathright\u2019s arrest<\/h3>\n
Day 5 – Defense says social media posts aren\u2019t solid proof<\/h3>\n
Day 4 – JSO detective says it\u2019s uncertain who booked Airbnb<\/h3>\n
Day 3 – Defense questions JSO detective\u2019s methods<\/h3>\n
Day 2 – Victim describes girl\u2019s trip gone wrong<\/h3>\n
Day 1 – Opening Statements<\/h3>\n