Four Men, Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, Rashad Murphy and Davion Murphy have been found guilty in the murder of rapper Julio Foolio
According to court documents rapper Julio Foolio was shot and killed while celebrating his 26th birthday in Florida
Evidence would show that the four men: Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, Rashad Murphy and Davion Murphy would travel from Jacksonville Florida to Tampa Bay Florida with the sole purpose of killing the rapper Julio Foolio. Once they arrived in Tampa Bay the four men would use social media to track the rappers exact location. The four men would open fire killing Julio Foolio and injuring three other people
Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, Rashad Murphy and Davion Murphy would be arrested and later convicted
Now the jury needs to determine whether the four men will spend the rest of their lives in prison or face execution
Update – May 15 2026 – Jury recommended that all four be sentenced to life without parole
Julio Foolio Case
Four men face potential death sentences after a jury found that they murdered a rising rap star as part of an ongoing gang war.
Isaiah Chance, 23, Sean Gathright, 20, Rashad Murphy, 32, and Davion Murphy, 29, were each found guilty of charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the shooting death of Charles Jones, who was known as “Julio Foolio.”
The same jury that convicted them will return on Monday to begin the penalty phase of the trial.
Jones was shot to death in what police called a “targeted gang-related killing” on June 23. Investigators say Chance, Gathright, Davion Murphy and Rashad Murphy traveled together from their homes in Jacksonville, Florida, and followed the victim southwest to Tampa, where he planned to celebrate his 26th birthday. Also along for the journey was Alicia Andrews, 23, Chance’s girlfriend, who was previously found guilty for her role in the shooting.
Prosecutors said the motive for the shooting stemmed from a yearslong gang war in Jacksonville. Jones was a documented member of the gang “6 Block,” which was in an open rivalry with both Ace’s Top Killers (ATK) and 1200. The four co-defendants are all members of either ATK or 1200; Andrews was not a member of any gang.
Surveillance video at a Homes 2 Suites in Tampa shows the gunmen getting out of vehicles and beginning to shoot at cars associated with the victim. Jones was killed and three other people were injured; Tampa detectives said the gunmen were Gathright, Rashad Murphy and Davion Murphy. Prosecutors said that Chance and Andrews served as scouts for locations as they searched for the victim.
Judge Michelle Sisco is presiding over the trial; she had previously presided over Andrews’ criminal trial. She will not, however, preside over Andrews’ sentencing, after Florida’s Second District Court of Appeals removed her following a defense motion claiming she was biased against them. Prosecutors have filed a motion appealing that decision.
FL v. Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, et.al.: Julio Foolio Murder Trial | Court TV
Julio Foolio News
A jury has found four men guilty of killing Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio in 2024.
Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, Rashad Murphy and Davion Murphy were all found guilty on Friday of first-degree premeditated murder.
Julio Foolio, whose real name was Charles Jones, was celebrating his 26th birthday in Tampa on June 23, 2024, when investigators said he was ambushed and killed outside a Holiday Inn hotel. Three others were wounded in the shooting.
Prosecutors said the rapper’s murder is part of an “ongoing gang war” in Jacksonville.
Prosecutors said the four men began planning their “coordinated mission” to kill Jones when he posted flyers to Instagram on June 14, 2024, promoting that he would be in Tampa for his birthday.
According to the state, the men traveled from Jacksonville to Tampa the day before the murder.
In the hours that led up to Jones’ death, prosecutors said Chance and Alicia Andrews tracked Jones and his entourage around Tampa in a silver Chevrolet Cruze, while Gathright, and Davion and Rashad Murphy followed behind in a Chevrolet Impala
Andrews, whom prosecutors identified as Chance’s girlfriend, was convicted of manslaughter in Jones’ death in October 2025.
During the trial, prosecutors showed jurors surveillance footage of Chance and Andrews at two nightclubs at the same time as Jones in the hours before the shooting.
“They never approached the bouncer, they never approached the door,” Assistant State Attorney Michelle Doherty said about Chance and Andrews during closing arguments, arguing the pair was there only to track Jones’ movements.
Prosecutors said the suspects eventually followed Julio Foolio and his entourage to a Holiday Inn, where three shooters, identified by the state as Gathright and Davion and Rashad Murphy, opened fire on Jones and his friends’ vehicles.
Jurors were shown maps of cellphone towers placing Chance’s and Gathright’s phones at the murder scene, along with phone records that showed Chance communicating with Gathright around the time of the shooting.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detectives testified how spent 9mm shell casings recovered from a safe inside Gathright’s home were a presumptive match to casings found at the murder scene. One detective testified that a rifle found in the safe was “consistent” with one used in the killing.
Following the murder, prosecutors said Chance, Andrews and Rashad Murphy took an Uber back to Jacksonville, while license plate readers captured Davion Murphy leaving Tampa in a Chevrolet Cruze, and Gathright driving a Chevrolet Impala.
Jurors also heard testimony that following Julio Foolio’ murder, Rashad Murphy made “celebratory” posts referencing Jones’ death, including one that showed Tom Brady and Bill Belichick celebrating after a Super Bowl victory, and another that read, “Hate me kindly.”
A video shown to jurors also seemingly appeared to show Davion Murphy referencing Jones’ murder, as surveillance video from inside an interview room caught him acting out a shooting following his arrest.
Because first-degree murder is a capital felony in Florida, the four men now face either life in prison or the death penalty. The penalty phase for the four men is scheduled to begin Monday afternoon and conclude Friday, the judge said.
“These defendants brought a gang war from Jacksonville into Hillsborough County, and their violence ends here. This guilty verdict delivers accountability and justice for Charles Jones’ family, but it also sends a clear message that this community will not tolerate ruthless and calculated violence,” said State Attorney Suzy Lopez.
Because first-degree murder is a capital felony in Florida, Chance, Gathright, Rashad and Davion Murphy now face either life in prison or the death penalty.
Jurors will weigh aggravating factors, like the nature in which the murder was committed, against mitigating factors, such as the defendant’s prior criminal history, before making their recommendation to the judge.
A unanimous vote for the death penalty is not required in Florida. As of 2023, Florida law requires at least eight out of 12 jurors to agree on a death recommendation.
The penalty phase for Chance, Gathright and the Murphys is scheduled to begin Monday afternoon and conclude Friday, Judge Sisco said.
Jury finds four men guilty in 2024 murder of Jacksonville rapper Foolio | firstcoastnews.com
Sentencing
On Friday, a jury recommended that Isaiah Chance, Sean Gathright, Rashad Murphy, and Davion Murphy be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Sentencing for all four has been scheduled for June 22 at 1:30 p.m.
This is a week after all men were charged with the murder of the Jacksonville rapper, Julio Foolio, after the jury found them guilty.
Julio Foolio, whose real name is Charles Jones, was killed after a shooting where he was ambushed in Tampa as he was on a birthday trip in June 2024.
Investigators have said that the defendants are affiliated with a gang, rivals to Jones ’ gang.
During the trial, prosecutors played music videos from the gang, highlighting lyrics that seem to brag about the deaths of their enemies, with a video posted after Jones ’ death.
A fifth suspect, Alicia Andrews, was tried separately and convicted of Manslaughter last October. Her sentencing was delayed.
Julio Foolio murder: Jury recommends life in prison for 4 convicted in Jacksonville rapper’s killing
