Hakeem Robinson, a Jacksonville rapper known as Ksoo, is on trial for the murder of Charles McCormick. Testimony continued Thursday.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The murder trial of Jacksonville rapper Hakeem Robinson, also known as Ksoo, proceeded on Thursday. Several witnesses took the stand, including a woman who recounted events at the murder scene and an officer who partook in the subsequent chase after the murder.
Robinson is on trial alongside his co-defendant, Leroy Whitaker, who is known as ATK Scotty. Prosecutors allege that Robinson fired the fatal shot that killed Charles McCormick, with Whitaker present in the car and ready to commit the act himself.
Authorities state that after the shooting, Whitaker and their suspected accomplice, Dominique Barner, invaded a woman’s home to change out of the clothes they wore during the incident. The homeowner also provided testimony on Thursday.
DNA experts and the chief medical examiner for Duval County also testified.
Eyewitness testifies
McCormick was leaving Express Employment, a temp agency on Merrill Road, when he was shot and killed.
Prosecutors say McCormick was exiting the building with a folder for a new job, which he never got to attend.
The eyewitness was a woman who worked at Express Employment. The appearance of the shooter, caught on dashcam video, has been a frequent topic in the trial so far, as Robinson’s attorneys argue he is taller and larger than the shooter.
The eyewitness testified that the gunman was tall, something that has been questioned as Robinson’s attorneys say witnesses believed he was much shorter than Robinson.
However, she called the shooter “thin,” while Robinson’s attorneys argue that he is much more heavy-set than the man seen in the video.
Home invasion victim takes the stand
The home invasion victim took the stand next. She identified Barner and Whitaker as the men who broke into her house. She was able to identify a specific tattoo on Whitaker’s arm. (Police said that after the shooting and subsequent car chase, which ended in a crash, Robinson ran off in another direction and was no longer with them.)
She said Whitaker repeatedly asked, “Where’s he at? Where’s he at?” and Barner was on the phone talking to someone, though she could not hear what he was saying.
She also told the courtroom the two men changed their clothes in her home, changing in to clothes they stole.
She said they took the clothes they wore during the crime with them in a blanket. She testified that the men eventually were picked up in a car.
Officer engaged in pursuit testifies, controversy over height estimate
Christopher Collins, an off-duty officer who was involved in the pursuit after the crime, spoke to the court next. He said he heard a series of “rapid fire” shots as he was exiting a nearby Publix. Collins said he remembered thinking, “I know they are not doing this in the middle of the day.”
He testified he saw the shooter get into the passenger side of a Nissan sedan and flee the scene. He said that he originally thought the shooter was 5’8-5’10 (shorter than Robinson), but then later decided he was “wrong” after seeing the video and thought the shooter was much taller.
Robinson’s attorney Chris DeCoste argued that Collins could have filed a supplemental report to correct his initial estimation of the suspect’s height, but did not.
He attempted to strike Collins’ testimony on the shooter’s appearance based on this discrepancy. However, Judge Tatiana Salvidor, who is overseeing the case, denied the request.
DNA expert witnesses
Multiple expert witnesses testified on DNA evidence found at the scene.
First, a DNA analyst from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement talked about testing FDLE did on the DNA found on evidence from the murder, including the stolen clothes from the home invasion. DNA from Whitaker and Barner was found as part of a “mixed DNA profile,” including the victims of the home invasion, she said.
A former FDLE analyst who swabbed evidence from the case herself also testified. She said Robinson’s DNA was not on the clothes found in the car.
Testimony will continue Friday. The state’s star witnesses are expected to be Barner, who has agreed to testify as part of a plea deal, and Robinson’s father Abdul Robinson Sr., who has taken a similar deal. It is not known what day of the trial they will take the stand.
