A Tampa jury has found Alicia Andrews, 22, guilty of manslaughter for her role in the brazen execution of Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio, whose violent death exposed the bloody underbelly of Florida’s drill rap and gang culture.
Prosecutors had sought to convict Andrews of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, charges that would have carried a mandatory life sentence. But after just over three hours of deliberation, jurors opted for the lesser manslaughter charge — a conviction that could see her serve up to 15 years in prison.
Although Andrews never pulled the trigger, Florida law allows accomplices to be charged as if they committed the crime themselves. Prosecutors argued that Andrews aided and abetted in the killing by helping her boyfriend, Isaiah Chance, track Foolio’s movements the night of the shooting.
The victim, whose real name was Charles Jones, was a rising figure in Jacksonville’s “drill rap” scene — a subgenre marked by music videos steeped in gang references, taunts, and violent retaliation. Jones had traveled to Tampa for his 26th birthday celebration and planned performances, unaware that rivals were reportedly stalking his every move.
On June 23, 2024, surveillance footage captured the horrifying moment three masked gunmen opened fire on Jones as he sat inside his Dodge Charger outside the Home2 Suites near the University of South Florida. In seconds, his windshield was riddled with bullets from two rifles and a modified automatic pistol. Jones tried to duck into the back seat but was killed instantly. Two others in the vehicle were wounded.
The assassins fled in a black Chevrolet Impala, leaving behind a chaotic scene that stretched into the parking lot of a nearby Holiday Inn.
According to prosecutors, Andrews and Chance had tailed Foolio’s group for hours, visiting the same clubs and venues — including Teasers and Truth 18 — and relaying their locations to the killers. Surveillance footage showed Andrews and Chance circling the same parking lots in a silver Chevrolet Cruze, both wearing COVID masks.
Prosecutors claimed Andrews allowed Chance to use her phone to communicate with the gunmen and even tried to book an Airbnb for them that night. Assistant State Attorney Michelle Doherty described the couple’s actions as “a coordinated hunt.”
“They hunted him, they stalked him, they found him, they targeted him, and they gunned him down,” Doherty told jurors in her closing argument.
But the defense painted a very different picture — that of a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship. Andrews testified that Chance was violent, jealous, and manipulative, showing jurors photos of bruises on her face that she said came from his assaults.
“It’s kind of like he was manipulating me,” Andrews said. “It’s not that easy to leave.”
Her attorney, Jeremy McLymont, insisted there was no evidence Andrews knew of any murder plot or that she had gang ties.
“She is not a gang member,” McLymont argued. “She was just tagging along with her controlling boyfriend.”
Despite the jury rejecting the murder charge, the verdict still marks a major win for prosecutors seeking accountability in a case that underscores how gang rivalries in Jacksonville have spilled beyond city limits. Detectives from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s gang unit testified that Foolio was a key member of “6 Block,” a crew locked in a yearslong feud with rival gangs “1200” and “ATK” — the latter associated with rapper Yungeen Ace.
Andrews is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8.
Her boyfriend, Isaiah Chance, along with the three alleged gunmen — Rashad Murphy (31), Davion Murphy (28), and Sean Gathright (20) — are set to face trial on April 8. They each face first-degree murder charges that could carry life in prison or the death penalty.
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