Sean Gathright Convicted in Julio Foolio’s Murder

Sean Gathright was convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of Jacksonville rapper Charles “Julio Foolio” Jones II and sentenced on June 22, 2026, to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus consecutive terms for conspiracy and three counts of attempted murder. He was 18 at the time of the June 2024 ambush in Tampa and 20 at sentencing. Prosecutors identified him as one of three gunmen who opened fire on Jones’s car outside a hotel near the University of South Florida.¹

What Happened Outside the Tampa Hotel

On June 23, 2024, Jones, a 26-year-old rapper who had traveled to Tampa to celebrate his birthday, was shot and killed outside a Home2 Suites near the University of South Florida.² Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said three shooters got out of a vehicle at 4:38 a.m. and “murder[ed] Jones with a handgun and two rifles.”³ Investigators recovered 31 9mm shell casings at the scene, and the Hillsborough County medical examiner determined Jones died from multiple gunshot wounds, including one that passed through his heart, lungs, and aorta.⁴

Prosecutors described the killing as a coordinated hit rooted in a long-running Jacksonville gang feud between 6 Block, which Jones was associated with, and the rival groups ATK and 1200. All five people charged in the case were tied by investigators to ATK or 1200.⁵

Who Sean Gathright Is

Sean Anthony Gathright was born on October 20, 2005.⁶ He lived with his mother in Jacksonville, owned a pressure washing business, and was enrolled at Florida State College at Jacksonville. A former English professor later wrote that Gathright had been “one of the brightest students in the entire class,” with writing “detailed and surprisingly sophisticated for a college freshman.” In a class essay, he described himself as the first in his family to attend college and said his goal was to earn enough money for his mother to retire within five years.⁷

His defense attorneys argued at trial that Gathright was “not a member of any of the gangs involved in the conflict” and that detectives had not initially known who he was until Tampa police identified him separately.¹

Arrest and the Evidence Against Him

A JSO SWAT team arrested Gathright on July 27, 2024, at a Jacksonville shopping center along with co-defendants Alicia Andrews and Isaiah Chance.⁶ Tampa police had previously stopped him in a gold Toyota 4Runner and, in searching the vehicle, recovered a 9mm Glock handgun, loose ammunition, magazines, and firearm parts.⁴

Investigators concluded that all five defendants traveled from Jacksonville to Tampa on June 22, 2024, in two vehicles to carry out the killing.⁶⁴²

A forensic analyst testified that DNA recovered from tape found on a rifle identified Gathright as a major contributor.⁴ His attorneys countered that he was “a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit,” pointing out that his phone was never collected into evidence, that rifles found at his home did not match the rifle seen in surveillance footage, and that he had been on his way to his grandmother’s house in Polk County.¹

Verdict, Penalty Phase, and Sentence

In May 2026, the jury found Gathright and his three co-defendants guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Because the state had sought the death penalty, the case moved to a penalty phase. Family members, including Bryan Herrington, Lisa Gathright, Damalie Lyle, and Neviah Gathright, testified that he was smart and hard-working. Gathright himself took the stand, told the jury he wanted to “be a man” and take responsibility for his actions, expressed remorse to the victim’s family, and said he had been participating in programs while incarcerated.⁴

The jury found that aggravating factors existed but recommended life in prison rather than death for all four defendants.¹

At the formal sentencing on June 22, 2026, Gathright addressed the court and questioned a legal system that treats 18-year-olds as adults for capital punishment but as minors in other contexts. “At 18 years old, with no prior convictions, I was charged, indicted and had to face the death penalty,” he said. Judge Michelle Sisco imposed life without the possibility of parole on the first-degree murder count, 30 years for conspiracy to commit murder, and 30 years on each of three counts of attempted murder, all to run consecutively.⁸

Where the Co-Defendants Landed

Chance, Rashad Murphy, and Davion Murphy each received life without parole on the murder count, an additional life sentence for conspiracy, and three additional life sentences for the attempted murder counts, all consecutive. Judge Sisco called the case “by far the longest case, the most intricate case, the most difficult case” she had handled in nearly 24 years on the bench.⁸

Alicia Andrews, the fifth defendant, was tried separately. A Tampa jury in October 2025 found her guilty of manslaughter and acquitted her of conspiracy to commit murder. Prosecutors had argued she acted as a lookout who tracked Jones’s location and booked an Airbnb used to stage the attack.⁹⁴ She was sentenced to 15 years in prison on May 22, 2026.¹⁰

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