Who was Javonnta Murphy and when did he go missing?
THE BODY of Javonnta Murphy has been found after a police search in Los Angeles.
Here's everything you need to know about Javonnta Murphy's tragic disappearance.
Who was Javonnta Murphy?
Javonnta Murphy, 32, from Sylmar in Los Angeles, was a singer-songwriter and rapper.
He often posted clips of himself performing tunes in his car, and was part of a band named Tank & Booq.
Murphy grew up in south LA with his mother, grandmother, and four brothers.
He had a young son and spent his free time running and weightlifting.
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In 2017, Murphy was arrested for battery, domestic violence, and failing to appear in court.
He was handed 45 days in jail, three years of probation, and ordered to take domestic abuse classes.
Murphy spent three more days in jail in 2018 after breaking a protective order made by the court.
When did Javonnta Murphy go missing?
Javonnta had been missing since at least Sunday, July 30, 2023.
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Close family friend Patrick Nelson, 46, told the Los Angeles Times: "He was a good kid, good person.
"He didn’t gang-bang. What happened to him, I just don’t understand.
"It’s sad how life goes. Whatever happened to him, whoever did it, I wish they could have solved it in a different way - different than that way."
When was Javonnta Murphy found?
On Sunday, July 30, 2023, a beach worker in Malibu spotted a 55-gallon barrel floating off the shore.
They paddled out to the bobbing drum and pulled it ashore - but did not open it.
The barrel slipped back into the lagoon, where a lifeguard retrieved it at 10am on Monday, July 31, 2023.
He opened the sealed barrel and discovered Murphy's naked body stuffed inside.
A source said that Murphy's death is likely the result of foul play.
Homicide cop Lt. Hugo Reynaga said that it was unclear how long the body had been inside the barrel - but it did not appear to be decomposed.
Former Malibu Mayor and Zuma Jay Surf Shop owner Jefferson Wagner said he spotted the barrel near the Pacific Coast Highway bridge on Sunday evening.
He said: "I thought it was a toxic waste container when I saw it.
"This is not what happens in Malibu. This is not a common occurrence.
"I mean, bodies in a barrel is just sad."
On Sunday, August 6, 2023, TMZ reported that Javonnta was the brother of Jaquan Murphy, one of the men arrested for rapper Pop Smoke's murder in 2020.
Jaquan was later cleared of the crime, but he is reportedly awaiting trial for an unrelated murder case.
According to sources, law enforcement is currently investigating whether Javonnta's death was the result of a retaliation killing for the murder of Pop Smoke.
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