23 Brazy pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after a 10-month manhunt following the shooting death of a 10-year-old boy during a dispute.
23 Brazy admitted guilt Tuesday in the fatal shooting of a 10-year-old boy during a dispute in Franklin, Virginia, bringing a months-long manhunt to a close.
The rapper, born Tashawnda Drayton, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Southampton County Circuit Court for the August 2023 killing of La’Marj Holden.
The child died after being hit by gunfire when an argument involving 23 Brazy turned deadly on Artis Street.
According to Franklin police, the confrontation unfolded on August 9, 2023, when 23-year-old Brazy and three others arrived at a home in the 300 block of Artis Street.
An altercation broke out between 23 Brazy and a man at the residence, escalating into gunfire. Both the man and La’Marj were struck. The man survived after receiving medical attention. La’Marj did not.
After the shooting, she disappeared, evading law enforcement for nearly 10 months. U.S. Marshals located her in June 2024 at Brookside Square Apartments in Boykins, roughly 20 miles away.
Investigators said a family member had been sheltering her during the search.
Initially charged with first-degree murder, 23 Brazy accepted a plea deal for the lesser charge of second-degree murder. Court documents show she also faced charges of aggravated malicious wounding, attempted first-degree murder and several firearms violations.
During a March court appearance, her defense attorney requested a mental health evaluation. That assessment was completed and factored into the plea agreement.
The killing of La’Marj rattled the Franklin community. Local leaders called for accountability and stressed the urgency of addressing gun violence that endangers children.
23 Brazy is scheduled to be sentenced in December. Second-degree murder in Virginia carries a possible prison term of five to 40 years.
Related