It’s been nearly five years since Pop Smoke (Bashar Jackson) was killed in California’s Hidden Hills — and now, the only adult defendant in the murder trial has reached a plea deal.
Corey Walker, 24, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and home invasion robbery charges in Los Angeles court on Wednesday (Feb. 5), Billboard has confirmed.
Walker will serve 29 years behind bars in prison on the charges of home invasion robbery with a gun enhancement. The voluntary manslaughter count was added this week, while the murder charge was dropped as part of the deal offered by prosecutors.
Walker also pleaded guilty to the robbery of an unidentified woman who was with Smoke when he was shot. The manslaughter and robbery charges carry a two-year sentence that will run concurrently with the 29-year sentence.
A jury was gearing up to be seated in Los Angeles if the trial proceeded into next week. Walker will ultimately be sentenced by a judge at a Feb. 21 hearing.
The news was first reported by Rolling Stone.
Per Rolling Stone‘s Nancy Dillon, Walker told the judge he armed a juvenile with a 9mm pistol before executing the armed robbery, which resulted in Pop Smoke being shot at a California Airbnb he had rented. Walker also admitted to selling the Rolex watch stolen from Pop for $2,000. Walker’s grandmother and four-year-old daughter were present in court.
“Our position is that Corey Walker is not guilty of murdering Pop Smoke because Corey specifically intended that no harm come to him,” said Walker’s attorney, Kellen Davis, in a statement sent to Billboard, adding that “all of the evidence supports this position. However, as confident as we were of an acquittal on the murder charge, under California law, he could face a life sentence on a robbery or burglary charge due to sentencing enhancements. This is illustrative of the unjust system that creates the real potential for a very young man to suffer the rest of his life in prison for acts he did not commit. Under this system, we believe that this is the best possible outcome for our client.”
Along with three juveniles, Walker invaded Pop Smoke’s Airbnb during the wee hours of Feb. 19, 2020. Smoke was fatally shot multiple times following a tense exchange while he was with a woman in one of the mansion’s bedrooms.
Walker and the juvenile defendants found Pop Smoke’s Airbnb address after the rapper posted a gift that had been sent to him on his Instagram Story that featured the address.
At the time of his death at age 20, Pop Smoke was a burgeoning rap star who was one of the pioneers of the Brooklyn drill movement that began sweeping the music industry at the turn of the decade.
This story was updated on Feb. 5 at 6:49 p.m. ET with a statement from Walker’s attorney.