Foolio Murder Trial: Social Media Becomes State’s Smoking Gun
Foolio's alleged killers may have convicted themselves by posting celebratory content on Instagram hours after the shooting.
Black News 
The men accused of killing Foolio may have sealed their own fate by blabbing and celebrating his death on Instagram.
During day five of the murder trial, a Jacksonville gang detective laid out how the defendants allegedly celebrated the rapper’s death through social media posts made within hours of the June 2024 shooting in Tampa.
The prosecution’s strategy centers on one devastating reality: these guys couldn’t keep their mouths shut online. Four men face first-degree murder charges: Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, Davion Murphy, and Rashad Murphy.
Detective Christopher Drabek from the JSO Gang Unit testified that Rashad Murphy posted celebratory content on Instagram after Foolio’s death, including an image of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick celebrating a Super Bowl victory alongside the caption “Hate me kindly.”
What makes this evidence particularly damaging is how quickly the defendants moved from the crime scene to their phones, essentially creating a digital confession.
The physical evidence compounds the defendants’ social media problem.
According to First Coast News, Tesla video footage captured the shooter holding a fully-automatic Glock in their left hand during the barrage of gunfire.
When Drabek interviewed Rashad, he noticed something telling: the defendant struggled significantly to write with his right hand while completing a consent form.
The writing was barely legible, and Rashad even asked the detective to hold the paper so he could try to write on it. That moment in the interrogation room could prove critical to establishing which defendant pulled the trigger.
Meanwhile, phone records destroyed Rashad’s alibi about traveling to Tampa with Darious Beals on the morning of the shooting. Data from Beals’ phone showed he wasn’t in Tampa on June 22, 23, or 24, contradicting the defendant’s story entirely.
Davion Murphy’s behavior during his police interview added another layer of incriminating conduct.
Video captured him making hand gestures that simulated shooting and flashing gang signs at the camera. He even applauded himself for evading law enforcement for months before his arrest.
A rifle recovered from Sean Gathright’s home was deemed consistent in appearance with one of the weapons used in the attack.
The prosecution alleges this was part of an ongoing gang war between Foolio’s KTA and Yungeen Ace’s ATK, both based in Jacksonville.
