Killing may be connected to another rapper’s murder
Two men are now in custody in connection to the murder of an aspiring rapper whose body was found in a barrel in the Malibu Lagoon. The gruesome discovery was made late last July when a barrel was found floating in Malibu. When the container was opened the horrific discovery was made of the body of 32-year-old Javonnta Murphy stuffed inside. Now, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says the main suspect is Joshua Lee Simmons. A second suspect named as an accomplice is Dennis Vance.
Both men were arrested this week on murder charges. Simmons is well-known to law enforcement and the public when in September he can be seen on surveillance tape trying to rob an El Monte jewelry store. Widely circulated footage shows store employees fighting back, beating Simmons in his failed smash- and-grab attempt. Murphy was the brother of Jaquan Murphy who was one of five suspects arrested for the murder of rapper Pop Smoke in 2020. Jaquan Murphy was cleared of the charge however, he faces trial for a different murder in Los Angeles County.