TAMPA, Fla. – Jury selection begins Monday in Tampa for Alicia Andrews, one of five people charged in the killing of Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio.
Detectives say Alicia Andrews and her boyfriend, Isaiah Chance, acted as lookouts the night Julio Foolio, whose real name was Charles Jones, was ambushed and killed outside a Tampa hotel near USF last summer.
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According to investigators, the couple drove from Jacksonville to Tampa with three others who were allegedly targeting the rapper as part of an ongoing gang war.
Authorities believe Andrews helped track and surveil the rapper as he moved between Tampa nightclubs. Because she was not part of her boyfriend’s gang, detectives say the others had her use her cellphone and car to try to help them avoid detection.
What they’re saying:
“The phone data shows that it was tracked from Jacksonville to Tampa. There were no other stops — indicating that they were in Tampa for nothing other than tracking and killing the victim,” Tampa Police detective Juan Ramos testified during a bond hearing shortly after the murder in 2024.
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The backstory:
Julio Foolio was a Jacksonville rapper who had been at the center of ongoing feuds between rival gangs. He was killed last year while celebrating his birthday in Tampa.
Why this case is different?
Prosecutors say Andrews does not meet the legal standard for the death penalty because she wasn’t part of a criminal enterprise tied to the gang war.
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Her four co-defendants, Chance, Sean Gathright, Davion Murphy, and Rashad Murphy, are accused of being active gang members and could face the death penalty if convicted.
What’s next:
Jury selection for Andrews’ trial begins Monday in Hillsborough County.
The four other defendants are expected to be tried separately in the spring.
The Source: This report is based on court filings and statements from detectives with the Tampa Police Department and Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.