Last man charged in 2020 killing of rapper Pop Smoke pleads guilty
- Share via
- Corey Walker, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter and two counts of robbery with firearm and gang enhancements.
- Walker is one of four people charged in connection with the rapper’s death.
The fourth and final person charged in connection with the 2020 killing of rising rap star Pop Smoke faces almost three decades in prison after pleading guilty to three counts this week, authorities said.
Corey Walker, 24, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of voluntary manslaughter and two counts of robbery with firearm and gang enhancements, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped a murder charge against Walker.
Walker is expected to be sentenced to 29 years during his next court hearing on Feb. 21.
A call to Walker’s attorney was not immediately returned Thursday. The district attorney’s office said it would not comment on a pending case.
Pop Smoke, a rising New York rapper, was fatally shot at a home in the Hollywood Hills early Wednesday, authorities said.
Pop Smoke, an up-and-coming rapper who drew acclaim following the release of his breakthrough mixtape, “Meet the Woo,” and follow-up, “Meet the Woo 2,” was shot in the torso during a home invasion robbery inside a posh Hollywood Hills house he was renting in February 2020.
Smoke, whose legal name was Bashar Barakah Jackson, later died at a hospital. He was 20 years old.
Investigators believe an image from an Instagram story may have revealed the address where he was staying, as well as valuables in his possession at the time.
Four people were charged in his death. Walker, the lone adult at the time of the slaying, was the alleged ringleader of a group that included three juveniles, according to the district attorney’s office.
Detectives are examining whether rapper Pop Smoke’s killers may have learned of his location at a Hollywood Hills home from social media posts.
The first defendant pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and home invasion robbery in April 2023 and was sentenced to four years and two months in the Secure Youth Treatment Facility.
Another man, who was 15 at the time, admitted to a juvenile court petition charging him with first-degree murder in May 2023. He also admitted to home-invasion robbery and allegations that he personally and intentionally discharged a firearm during the crime.
The man is expected to be held in a state juvenile facility until he turns 25.
The fourth person charged in the crime “settled his case and was sent to a post-conviction juvenile housing facility,” according to Rolling Stone.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
