One of the suspects charged with Foolio’s murder is seeking to have his own trial.
According to documents obtained by XXL, attorneys for Rashad Murphy, one of the suspects in the 2024 murder of rapper Foolio, filed a supplemental memorandum on Thursday (March 5) requesting to be tried separately from his codefendants for their upcoming trial, or at least have a different jury. Last month, the court held a hearing to address the motion but no ruling was made.
On Friday (March 6), Murphy’s attorneys filed an amended memorandum addressing the court’s indication that evidence concerning a separate shooting involving Murphy’s codefendants might be admissible against all defendants. This would happen if the judge determines that the evidence is “inextricably intertwined” with the charges related to Foolio’s killing.
“Florida law requires a defendant-specific relevance and prejudice analysis in joint trials, Rashad Murphy respectfully submits this supplemental memorandum to address that issue,” the motion reads.
Rashad Murphy is one of five people along with Alicia Andrews, Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright and Davion Murphy, charged with Foolio’s murder. The Jacksonville, Fla., rapper was shot and killed by three masked gunmen while celebrating his birthday in Tampa, Fla., on June 23, 2004.
In October of 2025, Andrews was convicted of manslaughter in connection with Foolio’s killing and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Her sentencing was delayed after the original judge was removed in January by an appellate court due to bias. Andrews’ new sentencing hearing is now scheduled for Dec. 8.
Meanwhile, the four other murder suspects — Rashad, Davion, Isaiah and Sean Gathright — were in court on Wednesday (March 4) where a judge denied several motions, including some Florida statutes, the death penalty and victim impact evidence. Video of their court hearing can be viewed below.
See Rashad Murphy’s Memorandum Requesting to Have His Own Trial in the Foolio Murder Case
See Law&Trials’ Video of Foolio Murder Suspects Being Denied Several Motions During a Court Hearing
See the Current Status of Every Murdered Rapper’s Case
XXL takes a look at the current status of the cases of hip-hop murders that have occurred over the past 39 years.