A Los Angeles County jury convicted Freddie Trone, 42, of orchestrating the murder of rapper PnB Rock during a robbery in September 2022.
After four hours of deliberation, the jury found Trone guilty of murder, robbery, and conspiracy to commit robbery. Trone’s 17-year-old son, under his orders, carried out the killing.
The prosecution and defense both confirmed that Trone’s son, currently in juvenile custody and deemed incompetent to stand trial, entered Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles in South Los Angeles. He shot the Philadelphia hip-hop star while robbing him of his jewelry as he dined with the mother of his 4-year-old daughter. The prosecution argued that the teen followed his father’s instructions, while the defense claimed Trone acted only as an accessory after the fact.
Tremont Jones Also Found Guilty
Another man involved, Tremont Jones, received convictions for robbery and conspiracy. However, Jones did not face murder charges.
Trone’s lawyer, Winston McKesson, intends to file for a new trial, arguing that the evidence does not support Trone conspiring to commit murder or providing his son with a gun. McKesson stated, “The only evidence the jury found is that he dropped him off and picked him up.”
PnB Rock’s Legacy Lives On
PnB Rock, whose legal name was Rakim Allen, gained fame for his 2016 hit “Selfish” and guest appearances on other artists’ tracks. He was 30 years old when he was killed.
In a rare move, the defense put Trone on the stand, where he adamantly denied involvement in the murder. However, Deputy District Attorney Timothy Richardson argued that even a non-shooter can be guilty of felony murder if they are a “major participant” who acted with “reckless indifference to human life.”
Prosecutors presented video evidence showing Trone in the restaurant’s parking lot about 30 minutes before the killing. Trone claimed he was there to promote his nearby beauty shop. Surveillance footage also captured Jones fist-bumping Allen, allegedly tipping Trone off to the rapper’s presence.
