ATLANTA — The protracted gang and racketeering trial in Atlanta, which saw rapper Young Thug plead guilty in October, concluded on Tuesday with the jury acquitting the final two defendants of murder charges.
Deamonte Kendrick, known in the music world as Yak Gotti, was found not guilty on all counts, while Shannon Stillwell was convicted only on a firearm possession charge. This verdict arrived nearly two years after the jury selection process commenced and a year after opening statements were delivered in a trial fraught with complications.
The massive indictment initially charged 28 individuals with conspiracy against Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, using both song lyrics and social media activity as part of the evidence. Young Thug, whose birth name is Jeffery Williams and is recognized as a Grammy-winning artist, was granted probation after entering a guilty plea in October regarding gang, drug, and firearm offenses subsequent to unsuccessful plea negotiations with prosecutors.
Kendrick and Stillwell faced charges related to the 2015 murder of Donovan Thomas Jr., also called “Big Nut,” who authorities alleged was affiliated with a rival gang. Additionally, Stillwell was implicated in the 2022 murder of Shymel Drinks, who was reportedly killed in retaliation for the earlier deaths of two members of a gang identified as YSL, purportedly co-founded by Young Thug.
Thomas lost his life during a drive-by shooting outside a barbershop in Atlanta, while prosecutors contended that Stillwell was the shooter who approached Drinks’ car and fired three shots into it.
In relation to the firearm possession charge, Stillwell received the maximum sentence of 10 years. However, he was credited for the two years already served, with the remainder of the sentence to be completed under probation.
Defense attorneys expressed discontent with the prosecution’s reliance on song lyrics, criticizing the state for utilizing what they deemed faulty evidence. They argued that the case built against Kendrick and Stillwell was constructed from selectively chosen social media posts and questionable witness testimonies, aiming to depict a distorted image of the young men pursuing music as a means to escape challenging life circumstances.
Prosecutors alleged that Williams, along with two others, founded Young Slime Life in 2012, which they claimed was linked to the national Bloods gang. In addition to his music career, the 33-year-old artist runs a record label named Young Stoner Life. Kendrick is featured on two standout tracks from the label’s compilation album Slime Language 2, including “Take It to Trial” and “Slatty,” as well as Young Thug’s song “Slime Sh-t,” which were all presented in court.
Williams made a significant decision to enter a “blind” plea, meaning he pleaded guilty without any pre-negotiated agreement regarding his sentence. Judge Paige Reese Whitaker granted him probation with stringent conditions, including a decade-long prohibition from entering metro Atlanta, except for specified reasons.
The trial encountered numerous issues and delays, causing considerable impact within Atlanta’s rap community. Williams rose from experiencing violence in an Atlanta housing project to becoming a successful artist, influencing the modern Southern trap sound he has played a pivotal role in popularizing.