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A jury has found two men guilty of playing a role in the death of PnB Rock.
According to a report Rolling Stone published on Wednesday, August 7, the jury took less than hours to determine that Freddie Trone and his co-defendant Tremont Jones were guilty of all the charges against them. Trone was convicted of felony murder, two counts of robbery, and one count of conspiracy while Jones was convicted of felony murder and two counts of robbery. During the murder trial, prosecutors argued Trone acted as the getaway driver after he sent his 17-year-old son to rob and fatally shoot the rapper in front of his fiancée.
Jones was accused of informing Trone that the rapper, born Rakim Allen, and the mother of his child Stephanie Sibounheuang had walked into the Roscoe's Chicken N' Waffles in Inglewood on September 12, 2022. During the deliberations, the jury reportedly focused on surveillance video that showed Trone's son being dropped off at the restaurant and picked up six minutes later in the same Buick Enclave. Trone testified that he wasn't in the car at the time.
“We could clearly see it was him,” said the jury's foreperson Edwin Lovo.
Trone's defense attorney Winston McKesson told the court his client was at the restaurant shortly before the shooting. He also claimed Trone's son stole the keys to the Buick and committed the crime behind his back. He also tried to prove that there were more people in the car at the time.
“There’s no evidence that my client planned anything," McKesson said. "You have no evidence that he intended anything. This young [shooter] acted independently of his dad. There is no evidence that he controlled that boy.”
PnB Rock's mother Deannea Allan was in the courtroom when the verdict was read aloud. She attended the trial from the beginning and was determined to get justice for her son.
“I’m elated,” Allen told Rolling Stone. “I wanted to jump up and scream, ‘Hallelujah.’ I’m so happy it was quick. We got justice for Rakim. I feel better knowing they’ll be in jail for a long time.”