North Carolina man convicted in murder of Lumberton rapper
A man has been convicted of murdering Lumberton, North Carolina, rapper Lil Jbo.
Jbo (real name Tazarie Butler) lost his life in June 2023 at the age of 20 years old following a shooting.
According to WPDE, 27-year-old Chamberlain Oxendine was found guilty of second-degree murder on April 6th.
The jury was picked on March 30th, with testimony beginning on March 31st. He was sentenced to between 200 and 252 months in prison.
Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said, “Today’s guilty verdict brings a measure of justice in a case that has deeply impacted our community. I commend our investigators for their relentless work, professionalism, and commitment to seeing this case through from start to finish.”
He continued, “While no verdict can undo the pain caused by this senseless act, it is our hope that this outcome provides a sense of closure and peace to the family of the victim. Our thoughts and prayers remain with them.”
Oxendine’s attorney said that Jbo and his client were friends. He claimed that there was disagreement between Jbo and Oxendine’s younger brother, prompting Jbo to point a gun at both of them.
“That is what self-defence is,” he said. “It’s a basic human instinct to save yourself from a situation in which you were. You were placed where someone is going to shoot you or someone was going to kill you. And under the circumstances. Was it reasonable for Chamberlain Oxendine to believe when that gun was pointed at him? And then when Tazarie Butler pointed the gun at Joshton.”
He continued, “Basic human instinct was he was going to kill my brother. He was going to kill me. He was going to injure my brother. And so what happens in that case? Instinct gets kicked. You self-preservation, self-defence. That’s what this case is about.”
Some of Jbo’s biggest songs included ‘Soldier Mentality’ with Boosie Badazz, boasting 491,000 views on YouTube, and ‘Gangsta Vibez’ with Big30, which has 308,000 views.