*The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner has determined the cause of death for Javonnta Murphy, the artist whose body was found in a barrel last week on a beach in California.
According to the coroner’s online records, Murphy, 32, died from a gunshot wound to the head. The manner of death was homicide and the case remains open. The aspiring singer-songwriter and rapper known as Sirtank lived in the Sylmar district of Los Angeles.
We reported previously that lifeguards spotted the 55-gallon plastic barrel in a lagoon at Malibu State Park on July 31. Inside, they found Murphy’s naked body. The container may have been swept into Malibu lagoon from the ocean by the high tide, according to homicide detectives investigating his death, Daily Mail reports.
“They pulled it to shore and inside they discovered a deceased human body,” Sgt. Christopher Soderlund of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department told reporters.
The coroner’s office identified the remains on Aug 2, Urban Hollywood 411 reports.
According to Hot New Hip Hop, police are reportedly investigating whether Murphy’s death is retaliation for Pop Smoke’s murder.
According to TMZ, Murphy is the elder brother of Jaquan Murphy, who was arrested in connection with Pop Smoke’s 2020 murder.
Pop Smoke, born Bashar Jackson, was killed on Feb. 19, 2020, during a home invasion robbery at a rented Airbnb where the hip-hop star was staying at the time. Jaquan was ultimately cleared of all charges related to the slaying and was released from police custody.
“L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s investigators are currently looking into the possibility Javonnta’s murder was a retaliation killing for Pop’s murder,” TMZ writes. “Of course, it’s not their only theory, but definitely one they’re digging into.”
Murphy’s father, Javonnie Murphy, told NBC Los Angeles that he last saw his son at a park on July 27, days before his body was discovered.
“I’m a strong Black man, but this, this is hurtful. I just want to know why. He didn’t deserve it,” Javonnie Murphy said.
“They were trying to get rid of him. They put him in a thing like that and threw him in the ocean. They were trying to get rid of him,” the grieving father stated.
“It just broke the whole family down,” Javonnie Murphy said about his son’s death. “We are all hurting right now. We’re all hurting, and we want justice… The only thing I can say is you have got to answer to the man upstairs. You have got to answer to Him upstairs.”
READ MORE: Rapper Found Dead in Barrel Connected to Pop Smoke’s Murder
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