In the penalty phase of the high-profile murder trial tied to the killing of Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio, prosecutors presented damning digital evidence: a screen recording from Sean Gathright’s iPhone that allegedly captured him viewing the artist’s Instagram Stories and searching for the exact Airbnb hosting his birthday pool party.
Gathright, one of four men convicted of first-degree premeditated murder in the June 2024 ambush that killed Foolio (born Charles Jones II), had the recording saved in his iCloud backup. According to court presentations, the footage showed Gathright engaging with Foolio’s public Stories — which featured visuals and details of the pool party venue — while looking up matching Airbnb listings.
The evidence was used to underscore premeditation and planning as jurors deliberate whether Gathright and his co-defendants will receive the death penalty or life sentences.
Foolio, 26, was gunned down in the early morning hours of June 23, 2024, in a parking lot at a Holiday Inn Express in Tampa. He had been celebrating his birthday with a pool party at an Airbnb earlier that evening, but the gathering was disrupted and shut down by police due to overcrowding. Attendees relocated to the hotel, where rival gang members carried out the ambush.
The four convicted men — Gathright (who was 18 at the time), Isaiah Chance, Rashad Murphy and Davion Murphy — traveled from Jacksonville and were linked to a rival faction in an ongoing gang feud. The case has been built largely on digital evidence, including cell phone data, cell tower pings, text messages, surveillance footage and vehicle tracking.
During the penalty phase, prosecutors highlighted the screen recording — timestamped to the afternoon or evening before the shooting — as clear proof that the attack was not spontaneous but involved deliberate tracking via social media. Foolio’s public posts provided location clues that authorities say his rivals exploited.
Gathright, now around 20 years old, took the stand in the penalty phase. He broke down in tears, apologized directly to Foolio’s family and expressed remorse. “I’m just here to be a man and take responsibility,” he told the jury, while his defense team emphasized his youth at the time of the crime, family background and participation in jail programs as mitigating factors.
photo credit: Jefferee Woo
The trial has drawn significant attention in the hip-hop community, shining a light on the dangers of public social media activity amid street feuds and the role of digital footprints in modern criminal cases. Foolio had built a dedicated following with his raw, street-oriented music before his death.
As of mid-May 2026, the jury continues deliberations on sentencing for all four defendants. The case has been closely followed by Court TV and local Florida outlets.
