By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, June 10 – The rapper Taxstone, Darryl Campbell, was on trial for the May 25, 2016 murder of Ronald McPhatter and shooting of rapper Troy Ave, Roland Collins.
On March 6, 2023, Inner City Press again went to cover the trial in 111 Centre Street, before Judge Abraham Clott.
After the guilty verdict, on June 10 Inner City Press returned when Judge Clott sentenced Campbell to 35 years of update incarceration. First, three McPhatter family members spoke. His mother showed his photo; a sister described him saving a woman on the Brooklyn Bridge.
The prosecutor quoted Campbell about getting a Connecticut lobster roll at Red Hook Lobster after a shooting. She said his anti gang podcast talk was too little too late. She noted the ongoing Federal case Inner City Press is covering.
Judge Clott said consecutive sentencing was called for -- 35 years in total.
More details on Substack here
At trial evidence was entered about the guns recovered in Irving Plaza, which were in turn given operability tests. There was the bullet removed from Roland Collins legs - and, strangely, the cataloguing of boxer shorts and white T-shirts. Much of this came up in stipulations agreed to by the defense, testimony of retired NYPD detectives.
Passed 4 pm Judge Clott called it a day and let the jury go. Then he held a whispered sidebar with the lawyers previewing arguments about "the Rikers calls." Subsequent Baxter Street stand-up video here.
March 2 Collect Pond video here
After the jury left Taxstone was handcuffed behind his back and led out.
On March 23, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., announced the trial conviction of DARYL CAMPBELL, a/k/a “Taxstone,” 37, for shooting and killing 33-year-old Ronald “Banga” McPhatter, a bodyguard, during a confrontation at Irving Plaza, and shooting and seriously injuring three others. Assistant District Attorneys Christine Keenan and Christina Awad (Trial Bureau 40) handled the prosecution of this case, under the supervision of Robert Ferrari (Chief of Trial Bureau 40) and Lisa DelPizzo (Chief of the Trial Division) with the assistance of Senior Investigative Analyst Holly Burns-LaRiche, Digital Evidence Analyst Mollie Somers and Investigative Analyst Jacob Willebeek-LeMair. He will be sentenced on April 19, 2023.
He has a Federal case as well, which Inner City Press is also covering.
More including analysis on Substack here
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