Key Takeaways
- A Hillsborough County jury convicted Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, Rashad Murphy, and Davion Murphy of first‑degree murder and conspiracy for the June 23, 2024, shooting death of Jacksonville rapper Charles “Julio Foolio” Jones.
- The attack was described by prosecutors as a retaliatory ambush tied to an ongoing gang feud between 6Block (Jones’ gang), Ace’s Top Killers (ATK), and 1200.
- Evidence presented included text messages, cell‑tower data, surveillance footage, and witness testimony placing the defendants in Tampa and linking them to the planning and execution of the ambush.
- Each defendant raised distinct defenses challenging placement at the scene, reliability of cell‑tower evidence, weapon matching, and interpretations of social‑media posts, but the jury rejected those arguments.
- A separate manslaughter conviction against Alicia Andrews (who acted as a lookout) remains pending appeal, with a new judge assigned and sentencing still unscheduled.
- The penalty phase for the four convicted men is set to begin Monday at 1 p.m., where the jury will decide whether they receive life imprisonment or the death penalty.
On Friday, a Hillsborough County jury returned guilty verdicts against Isaiah Chance (23), Sean Gathright (20), Rashad Murphy (32), and Davion Murphy (29) for the first‑degree murder and conspiracy charges stemming from the fatal ambush of rapper Charles “Julio Foolio” Jones on June 23, 2024. Prosecutors argued that the killing was a calculated retaliation in a broader Jacksonville gang war involving Jones’ 6Block faction, the rival ATK crew, and the 1200 gang. The state presented a timeline built from text messages, cell‑tower pings, surveillance footage, and witness accounts that showed the defendants stalking Jones as he celebrated his birthday in Tampa, coordinating the attack, firing dozens of rounds into his Dodge Charger, and then fleeing to a rented Airbnb before splitting up to return to Jacksonville.
The prosecution’s case hinged on digital evidence. Detectives testified that Andrews booked the Airbnb used as a staging point, while Chance and Gathright exchanged messages attempting to locate Jones in Tampa. Rashad Murphy’s alleged involvement was supported by social‑media posts showing celebratory imagery after the shooting, and by testimony that his phone was linked to the vehicle used in the ambush. Davion Murphy was identified as the driver who returned the silver Chevrolet Cruze to Jacksonville after the attack. The state also introduced forensic findings: 31 nine‑millimeter shell casings, projectile fragments, and a blood trail that led from the shooting scene through the hotel lobby to the third floor, where additional victims were found.
Each defendant mounted a distinct defense. Rashad Murphy’s attorney argued that his client could not be placed in Tampa at the critical time, citing a lack of GPS tracking from Jacksonville to Tampa and claiming Murphy had originally lied to investigators out of fear. The defense highlighted that Murphy’s phone was never definitively tied to either the black Impala or silver Cruze seen in surveillance, and that no video clearly identified him. Sean Gathright’s lawyer contended that Gathright was unrelated to the plot, pointing out that his phone was never collected into evidence, that cell‑tower data used by detectives can be unreliable, and that the rifles found at his home did not match the weapon shown in the video of the shooter. Gathright’s counsel also asserted he was traveling to his grandmother’s house for a pressure‑washing business swap and then to a sister’s party in Orlando, with no knowledge of the shooting.
Isaiah Chance’s defense maintained that he was not a rival of Jones, noting the absence of gang‑defining tattoos and arguing that the prosecution could not prove Chance knew about the planned attack. They emphasized that Chance’s presence in Tampa was limited to being a passenger in Andrews’ vehicle with an unknown driver. Davion Murphy’s attorney argued that his client could not have been the third shooter because video footage shows the shooter using a right‑handed grip, whereas Davion writes left‑handed; additionally, no weapons, DNA, or social‑media ties linked him to the crime.
Throughout the trial, detectives from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office gang unit testified about the broader context: monitoring social‑media feuds, interpreting drill rap lyrics as reflections of gang tensions, and tracking the movements of suspects via license‑plate readers and surveillance. Witnesses such as Robert Howard (Kenny Caps) described hearing Murphy’s post‑shooting apology, while victims like Camilla Bentley and Audra Agramente recounted being caught in the crossfire during their own trips to Tampa.
The trial also touched on related legal proceedings. Alicia Andrews had previously been convicted of manslaughter for serving as a lookout and tracking Jones before the shooting; her sentencing was delayed after she appealed, alleging judicial bias, and a new judge, Kimberly Fernandez, was appointed in January 2026, though a sentencing date remains pending. The state has filed a motion to overturn the appeal decision.
With the guilt phase concluded, the four convicted men will return to court on Monday at 1 p.m. for the penalty phase, where the jury will decide whether they receive life imprisonment or the death penalty. The outcome will determine the final accountability for a murder that prosecutors say stemmed from a entrenched gang rivalry that spilled over from Jacksonville into Tampa, resulting in the loss of a rising music figure and endangering innocent bystanders. The case continues to illustrate how digital evidence, gang affiliations, and witness testimony intertwine in modern homicide prosecutions.