The convicted killer of rapper Julio Foolio, Day Von Murphy, is a cold-blooded gang member who sought revenge after being shot in the groin during a prior attack, according to explosive testimony and courtroom revelations that have stunned the Jacksonville community and reignited debate over the death penalty.
Murphy, 28, was one of five defendants found guilty in the murder of Foolio, whose real name was Charles Jones, a rising star in the local rap scene. But it is Murphy’s motive—a brutal retaliation for a gunshot wound to his penis—that has emerged as the most shocking detail in a case already saturated with violence and gang warfare.
Court documents and video evidence show that Murphy was shot in the manhood on January 11, 2017, suffering a rupture of the corpus cavernosum of his penis. The bullet remained lodged in his thigh. Just weeks later, he was involved in a high-speed police chase and a motor vehicle accident that left him with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13.
Prosecutors argue that this trauma, combined with a low IQ of 81, did not diminish his capacity for premeditated murder.
“He got shot in the dick. No wonder he wanted revenge,” one courtroom observer was heard saying in a viral video transcript obtained by this station. The transcript captures Murphy’s co-defendants laughing as a forensic psychologist detailed the injury.
Murphy himself was seen laughing in the courtroom during the trial, a behavior that prosecutors called “cold and calculated.”
Murphy’s attorney argued that his client is “too dumb for the death penalty,” citing his full-scale IQ score in the 10th percentile, placing him in the low average range of intellectual functioning. The defense presented evidence that Murphy was placed in exceptional student education programs, diagnosed with ADHD, nonverbal learning disabilities, and specific learning disabilities. But prosecutors countered that Murphy understood exactly what he was doing.
“He knew how to travel from Jacksonville to Tampa to track a target at a club, get out of the car with a big stick, pull up, get away, and brag about it,” a prosecutor said during closing arguments, as quoted in the transcript. The state argued that Murphy’s low IQ does not excuse his actions, especially given his active role in the 1200 gang and his online posts celebrating the murder.
Murphy is a walking billboard of the 1200 gang, with tattoos of fallen members covering his body. After the murder, he posted on social media, throwing gang signs and shouting out to “Prosper and Junior get back day.” The transcript shows that Murphy’s co-defendant, Rashad Murphy, broke down crying when the verdict was read, while Day Von Murphy laughed and flipped through papers.
“He’s keeping it solid. Don’t let them see you cry,” one commenter wrote online. Another said, “He laughing cuz it hurt.
Cried as soon as he got to that cell.”
The murder of Foolio occurred on October 23, 2023, outside a Tampa nightclub. Foolio was a prominent figure in the Jacksonville rap scene, known for his diss tracks targeting rival gangs. His death was widely seen as a retaliation for the killing of a close friend, Tilly, just hours earlier.
Court testimony revealed that Murphy and his co-defendants were motivated by a desire for revenge, with one defendant posting “nobody doing nothing about Tilly” before the murder.
The trial also exposed the deep roots of gang violence in Jacksonville. Murphy’s co-defendants included members of the ATK and 1200 gangs. One defendant, Isaiah Chance, was seen in a video with a ghost emoji over his mouth, throwing gang signs.
Another, Shawn Gathright, was linked to the murder of Tilly. The prosecution argued that the murder of Foolio was a direct result of an ongoing gang war.
Now, the jury faces a difficult decision: life in prison or the death penalty for Murphy. The defense’s argument that he is intellectually disabled has sparked outrage among victims’ advocates. “This man is a proud gang member who laughed in court,” said a spokesperson for the Jacksonville Police Department.
“He knew exactly what he was doing.”
The forensic psychologist who evaluated Murphy testified that he was cooperative during seven face-to-face meetings, performed all tasks, and never complained of fatigue. “He understood everything I was saying,” the doctor said. Critics argue that this contradicts the claim that Murphy is too impaired to be executed.
“If he can do all the basic things, how are you going to let this slide?” one commentator asked in the transcript. “He’s not going to be your neighbor.
He’s going to be on a prison block with inmates who can function. They don’t want to be around this either.”
The case has also drawn attention to a separate data breach involving Under Armour, which is facing allegations of exposing customer information in November 2025. Some customers may qualify for claims worth up to $500. But for now, the focus remains on Murphy and the fate of a man who, according to the transcript, “got shot in his manhood” and then “clearly sought revenge and got it.”
As the jury deliberates, the community is divided. Some argue that Murphy’s low IQ and traumatic injury should spare him from execution. Others insist that his actions—tracking, killing, and bragging—show a clear understanding of right and wrong.
“I would say death,” one observer said in the transcript. “I don’t see a purpose in keeping certain people alive. They cause more hell inside prison.”
The sentencing phase is expected to continue this week. Murphy’s co-defendants have already been sentenced to life without parole. For Murphy, the question remains: will he die by lethal injection, or will he spend the rest of his life behind bars?
The answer will hinge on whether the jury believes he is too slow to die—or too dangerous to live.
