The family of Sean Gathright, one of four men convicted in the murder of rapper Julio Foolio, launched a GoFundMe campaign aiming for $24,000 for legal fees, and it’s quickly garnered a massive backlash.
Posted shortly after Gathright's conviction, the fundraiser has raised less than $900 of its goal, according to The Express Tribune. The family says the page has been repeatedly reported and that they have received threats.
In a social media statement responding to the criticism, the family pushed back on what they described as harassment.
"We want to address recent reports being made against Sean's GoFundMe. While we completely understand that not everyone will choose to support, going as far as reporting the fundraiser, sending threats, and harassing not only Sean but also his loved ones is truly mean-spirited and out of control," the family said.
They added that the funds are meant to help cover emotional, financial, and personal burdens tied to the ongoing legal process, and urged those opposed to the campaign to simply move on rather than engage in harassment.
On Friday (May 15), Gathright and co-defendants Isaiah Chance, Davion Murphy, and Rashad Murphy appeared in court for the final day of their penalty phase, a week after being convicted on conspiracy, murder, and attempted murder charges. The jury rejected the prosecution's push for the death penalty, instead recommending life without the possibility of parole for all four men.
A fifth defendant, Alicia Andrews, was convicted of manslaughter last October after prosecutors argued she and Chance tracked Foolio's movements in Tampa, Florida, and relayed his location to the others. Andrews has since appealed that verdict and is seeking a new trial.
Foolio was shot and killed on June 23, 2024, while sitting in a car outside a Holiday Inn in Tampa, where he had been celebrating his birthday. Surveillance footage captured three of the men firing into his vehicle in the hotel parking lot. Prosecutors tied the killing to an ongoing gang conflict in Jacksonville involving the 1200 gang, ATK, and 6 Block.
