FL v. Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, et.al.: Julio Foolio Murder Trial – Image for illustrative purposes only (Image credits: Unsplash)
Tampa, Fla. – A jury has found four men guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy in the targeted shooting of rising rapper Charles Jones, known professionally as Julio Foolio. The May 12 verdict came after more than seven hours of deliberation and leaves each defendant facing a possible death sentence. The same panel will return Monday to begin the penalty phase. Prosecutors described the killing as the latest act in a long-running gang conflict that spilled from Jacksonville into a Tampa hotel parking lot on Jones’s 26th birthday.
The Guilty Verdicts
Isaiah Chance, 23, Sean Gathright, 20, Rashad Murphy, 32, and Davion Murphy, 29, were each convicted on both counts. All four men are documented members of either the ATK or 1200 gangs, according to testimony. A fifth person, Alicia Andrews, Chance’s girlfriend, was convicted earlier for her role in scouting locations. The jury rejected defense arguments that some defendants lacked direct involvement or were never placed at the scene by reliable evidence.
How the Attack Unfolded
Surveillance video captured masked gunmen exiting vehicles at a Homes 2 Suites hotel and opening fire on cars linked to Jones. Three other people were wounded in the barrage. Prosecutors said Gathright, Rashad Murphy and Davion Murphy carried out the shooting while Chance and Andrews helped track the victim’s movements. Jones was struck multiple times, including a fatal chest wound that severed major arteries. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.
Roots in a Jacksonville Gang War
Investigators traced the motive to a years-long rivalry between Jones’s 6 Block gang and the ATK and 1200 groups. Social-media posts, text messages and “drill rap” videos documented escalating threats and taunts between the factions. Detectives testified that the defendants traveled together from Jacksonville, followed Jones southwest, and coordinated the ambush after he publicly shared his Tampa birthday plans. No shell casings were recovered inside the victim’s vehicle, indicating the shots came from outside as he tried to escape.
Key Evidence at Trial
Prosecutors built their case on a combination of cellphone records, hotel surveillance, DNA mixtures and witness accounts. One analyst matched DNA on rifle tape to Gathright as a major contributor. Gang-unit detectives linked the men through Instagram posts, shared rides and an Airbnb booking made days before the shooting. Defense attorneys countered that some phone data was imprecise, certain social-media references were ambiguous, and no forensic evidence tied every defendant to the weapons or clothing recovered.
What Comes Next
The penalty phase begins Monday, when the jury will decide whether the men receive life sentences or death. Florida law requires the panel to weigh aggravating and mitigating factors before recommending punishment. Judge Michelle Sisco, who presided over the trial, will not handle Andrews’s sentencing after an appeals court removed her from that case on bias grounds. Prosecutors have appealed the removal. The outcome will determine whether the four convicted men join the small number of Florida inmates facing capital punishment for a single targeted killing.
