Prosecutors confirm that they won’t seek the death penalty for Corey Walker, who is accused of killing the ‘Welcome to the Party’ rapper during an armed robbery.
AceShowbiz –Pop Smoke‘s alleged killer has dodged the worst sentence. Corey Walker, one of the men arrested for the murder of the rapper, was possibly facing the death penalty for the crime, but now it looks like he will escape that fate.
On Tuesday, July 6, a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney confirmed that prosecutors won’t seek the death penalty for Corey. The 20-year-old, who is the only adult suspect among a group of teens charged with the murder, appeared in court for rearraignment but didn’t enter a new plea because a system glitch prevented prosecutors from filing the special paperwork confirming their decision.
“Our office is not going to be seeking death on this case, but we are going to be asking for a lot,” said Deputy DA Hilary Williams during the brief morning hearing following a judge’s recent ruling there’s enough evidence to warrant a trial.
Corey’s lawyer was understandably pleased with the prosecutors’ decision, calling it “appropriate.” The attorney, Christopher Darden, told the Daily News in a phone interview, “I am glad to hear the DA say this formally on the record. Corey Walker does not have an adult criminal history. He was 19 years old, not armed with a firearm and he did not shoot anyone. I don’t think the death penalty would be a fair or suitable punishment in this case.”
Corey was initially ordered to return on Wednesday to enter a new plea, but his lawyer said that the paperwork issue wouldn’t be resolved in time, so both sides agreed to postpone his new plea to next month. “We haven’t talked about a deal or resolution, and we really can’t until the death penalty is removed,” Christopher explained.
Corey was charged with murder with a special circumstance that alleged the killing was committed “during the commission of a robbery and a burglary.” The other three suspects are being prosecuted in juvenile court.
Pop Smoke, whose real name was Bashar Barakah Jackson, was shot and killed during an armed robbery in Hollywood Hills, California in February 2020. The suspects were reportedly targeting his Rolex watch, which they ended up selling for roughly $2,000.
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