In Compton, California, a Los Angeles County jury found Freddie Trone, 42, guilty of orchestrating the murder of rapper PnB Rock by sending his 17-year-old son to carry out the crime. After approximately four hours of deliberation, the jury convicted Trone on one count of murder, two counts of robbery, and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery.
The two-week trial centered around the tragic event at Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles in South Los Angeles in September 2022. The prosecution argued that Trone’s teenage son entered the restaurant and fatally shot PnB Rock, whose real name was Rakim Allen, while robbing him of his jewelry. The rapper was dining with his 4-year-old daughter’s mother at the time. Prosecutors contended that the teenager acted under his father’s directive, while the defense claimed that Trone was merely an accessory after the fact.
The now-19-year-old is charged with murder but remains in the custody of the juvenile system, deemed currently incompetent to stand trial.
Another individual, Tremont Jones, faced a separate trial and was found guilty of two counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy, although he was not charged with murder. Jones’ attorney, David Haas, indicated plans to appeal the verdict. Similarly, Trone’s lawyer, Winston McKesson, announced intentions to file a motion for a new trial, arguing that the prosecution presented no concrete evidence of Trone conspiring to commit murder or providing a gun to his son.
Throughout the trial, the defense took the unusual step of having Trone testify. On the stand, Trone vehemently denied any involvement in the killing, stating, “I never had nothing to do with it. I wasn’t there. I didn’t tell nobody to do nothing. I didn’t hand nobody no gun.” He did, however, acknowledge the severity of the crime and the dangerous nature of his son.
Deputy District Attorney Timothy Richardson countered by underscoring Trone’s responsibility, declaring that sending his son with full knowledge of his violent tendencies constituted reckless indifference to human life. Richardson argued that Trone’s actions made him a major participant in a felony murder, even without being the shooter.
Surveillance footage presented during the trial placed Trone in the restaurant’s parking lot roughly 30 minutes before the murder. Trone explained his presence there as part of efforts to promote his nearby beauty shop, a claim met with skepticism by the prosecution. Richardson also introduced a surveillance image depicting Jones fist-bumping Allen, indicating that Jones likely informed Trone of the rapper’s valuable jewelry, setting the stage for the tragic encounter.
PnB Rock, celebrated for his 2016 hit “Selfish” and collaborations in songs like YFN Lucci’s “Everyday We Lit” and Ed Sheeran’s “Cross Me” with Chance the Rapper, was 30 years old at the time of his death.
