In a significant turn of events, Corey Walker, charged in the 2020 murder of rapper Pop Smoke, faces nearly three decades in prison.
Corey Walker, 24, has accepted a plea deal admitting to voluntary manslaughter and two counts of home-invasion robbery. Initially charged with murder, Walker could have faced life without parole, but this plea deal changes his fate significantly.
Back in 2020, Pop Smoke was tragically killed during a targeted robbery at a Los Angeles Airbnb. Walker was one of five individuals implicated in the crime. The plea deal comes as a surprise, considering a previous arrangement had fallen apart at the last minute.
Audrey Jackson, Pop Smoke’s mother, expressed her feelings to Rolling Stone. “It’s over for everybody except for me. This never ends for me. And that’s unfair. I appreciate they got justice to the fullest extent of the law. But my life doesn’t change. I still don’t have my son,” she lamented.
She won’t be attending Walker’s sentencing on February 21 and stated, “I have not been holding animosity. I’ve just been getting through this. There’s just nothing to say. Everybody’s life has been ruined.” Her words capture the enduring pain a parent feels for the loss of their child.
Meanwhile, King Vermont Raskel, known as Blockstar and just 15 at the time of the crime, also took a plea deal. He has since been released from juvenile detention. Raskel made headlines when he expressed no remorse in a No Jumper interview, stating, “I’m not sorry about nothing. It should’ve never happened, but I ain’t sorry.” He continued his controversial comments by explaining his lack of regret, showing a hardened perspective shaped by his past.
With these plea deals, the case surrounding Pop Smoke’s tragic murder takes a legal turn. The consequences for those involved underscore the gravity of the crime, while the impact on those left behind—like Pop Smoke’s family—remains immeasurable.
As legal outcomes unfold in courtrooms, the memory of Pop Smoke’s vibrant life and promising career continues to resonate with fans and family alike. The pursuit of justice is bittersweet, bringing some closure yet highlighting an unfathomable loss.
