New Surveillance Footage Shakes Julio Foolio Murder Trial: Prosecution Says It Shows a “Calculated Cleanup”

The courtroom fell silent this week as prosecutors unveiled new surveillance footage they say could be the smoking gun in the ongoing trial over the murder of Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio. The video, played for the jury, captured Sean Gathright — one of the five defendants charged — just hours after Foolio’s killing, in what prosecutors describe as a “deliberate act of cover-up.”

🎥 The Chilling Video Breakdown

The footage, timestamped early morning June 23, 2024, shows Gathright arriving at his grandmother’s home on Opal Avenue in Auburndale. Minutes earlier, Foolio — born Charles Jones — had been gunned down in Tampa, more than 60 miles away, after being lured into what prosecutors call a targeted setup.

On the screen, jurors watched a Chevy Impala, identified by investigators as the assault vehicle used in the shooting, pull into the driveway. Gathright steps out, enters the house, then reemerges holding what appears to be a cloth or towel. What follows is a haunting sequence:

He begins methodically wiping the Impala’s exterior — door handles, windows, trunk — before switching to another vehicle, a Toyota 4Runner, and driving away.

According to the prosecution, those few minutes tell the story of a man erasing evidence — fingerprints, DNA, and gun residue — after participating in a planned ambush that left Foolio dead and three others injured.

🧬 Investigators Connect the Dots

Detectives later located and seized the same Chevy Impala during a neighborhood sweep. Ballistics testing confirmed that shell casings found inside the car matched those recovered at the Tampa crime scene.

The most striking twist: the footage came from a home surveillance camera voluntarily handed over by Gathright’s grandmother. Investigators testified that she had no knowledge of her grandson’s alleged involvement, assuming he’d merely stopped by that morning.

“This video goes to his state of mind,” the lead prosecutor told the court. “You’re watching a man take careful, intentional steps to destroy evidence — not out of fear, but out of guilt.”

🩸 Foolio’s Death and the Alleged Setup

The state’s broader case connects Gathright to Alicia Andrews, the woman accused of luring Foolio to Tampa under false pretenses. Prosecutors say Andrews, who is currently standing trial, coordinated with multiple suspects, positioning Foolio for an ambush while posing as a friend or potential romantic link.

Once cornered in the hotel parking lot, Foolio and his group were hit by dozens of rounds of gunfire, leaving the rapper dead on the scene and three others wounded.

In total, five individuals — including Andrews and Gathright — now face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Each could spend life in prison without parole if convicted.

⚖️ The Defense Pushes Back

Gathright’s attorney countered that the footage proves nothing criminal, arguing the state is leaning on perception over proof.
“Wiping down a car isn’t a crime,” the defense said in opening arguments. “There’s no video of him shooting, no DNA showing he pulled a trigger, no direct link between this man and what happened in Tampa.”

The defense maintains that Gathright’s behavior — cleaning a car — could easily be explained as routine or coincidental, and accused prosecutors of emotional manipulation by using the footage to imply guilt without solid evidence.

👀 Public Reaction: “The Video Speaks for Itself”

Online, clips from the courtroom are circulating widely, with social media users describing the footage as “damning” and “impossible to unsee.”
As one viewer commented:

“You can argue all day, but a man wiping fingerprints off a car hours after a murder? That’s not normal.”

Others pointed out the eerily calm manner in which Gathright moved — not panicked or rushed, but deliberate. The moment, they say, shows a level of composure inconsistent with innocence.

🚨 Bottom Line

This new video evidence could prove pivotal in a case already layered with tension, betrayal, and viral speculation. For prosecutors, it’s the visual anchor of their entire narrative — a quiet, calculated moment that transforms circumstantial claims into something visceral and real.

For the defense, it’s a battle to convince jurors that actions don’t always equal intent, and that the clip doesn’t necessarily tie Gathright to Foolio’s killing.

As the trial continues, one thing is clear: that silent footage from a grandmother’s camera may end up speaking louder than any testimony.

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