It has been over four full years since the death of Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke, who helped popularize the New York drill movement and was the scene’s most well-known face and voice before his murder in 2020. This year, one of the three people accused of shooting and killing the rapper during a home invasion will go on trial; the other two, an 18 year old and a 19 year old, pled guilty in juvenile court last year.
Which leaves Corey Walker, the only defendant to be tried as an adult, who pled not guilty to murder and three other charges stemming from the home invasion. According to Rolling Stone, his trial has been set for July 25 in Los Angeles. His defense lawyer Christopher Darden — who has since been replaced — argued that Walker was not party to the the actual murder, saying he “remained outside seated in the driver’s seat” of his car, which he shared with his grandmother. However, prosecutors say Walker that while he may not have “planned” the crime as his attorney insists, he did “facilitate” it by providing weapons, casing the scene, and serving as getaway driver.
They say Walker remained in contact with the juveniles via cell phone during the robbery and that he researched the targeted item, a Rolex watch the trio later sold for just $2,000. Darden’s failed 2021 motion to dismiss the charges against Walker told his accomplices to defend themselves with a flower vase before resorting to gunplay.