Julio Foolio’s fifth murder suspect, Davion Murphy, has been apprehended by law enforcement after months evading capture.
Murphy has been sought regarding the murder of the Florida rapper for more than six months but had eluded arrest until now.
The 27-year-old was apprehended by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on Monday (January 6) at a Jacksonville apartment complex prior to being processed at the Duval County Pre-Trial Detention Facility.
“This arrest underscores our dedication and persistence in resolving this murder,” stated JSO Director of Investigations and Homeland Security Mark Romano. “Even though it required time, JSO and collaborators made daily efforts to ensure these individuals were held accountable.”
Murphy is set to stand trial for his supposed involvement in the murder of Julio Foolio, who was shot outside a motel in Tampa in June 2024.
The other four suspects were taken into custody last July, with three (Isaiah Chance, Alicia Andrews, and Sean Gathright) entering not guilty pleas, while Rashad Murphy (Davion’s sibling) is considering an insanity defense.
Rashad Murphy was apprehended later than the other three following a tense standoff with a SWAT team at a Jacksonville apartment complex that extended for several hours.
Authorities reported that the U.S. Marshals Service assisted in finding Murphy at his apartment complex, and although investigators “spent hours” attempting to persuade him to exit, ultimately SWAT team members “employed tactics” to drive him out.
Gathright is also connected to a previous assassination attempt on Foolio from October 2023 when the rapper sustained a gunshot wound to his foot.
As reported by local news source News4Jax, police discovered Gathright with shell casings from a firearm linked to the October incident during his arrest.
He was arrested during a traffic stop where police discovered a 9mm handgun, a rifle, and nine spent shell casings from the larger weapon.
Law enforcement asserts that the shell casings correspond to those identified in two earlier incidents — a murder from May of this year and the shooting of Foolio in October 2023.
During the raid at Gathright’s residence, authorities discovered an item referred to as a brass catcher, a tool designed to stop shell casings from being left at the firing location.
Foolio was killed while marking his 26th birthday. His body was discovered in a Holiday Inn parking lot, and two other individuals sustained injuries in the shooting.
