Widner “Flow” Degruy was sentenced Tuesday (May 14) to life in prison in the 2015 double murder of brothers Kendred and Kendrick Bishop in New Orleans East.
Degruy, 27, was convicted April 8 of two counts of second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder. A jury deliberated about 1 ½ hours before convicting Degruy, a rapper signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money record label, in 11-1 verdicts.
He pleaded guilty earlier to obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice in the case.
In an impact statement read before Criminal District Judge Tracey Flemings-Davillier handed down Degruy’s sentence, the brothers’ mother, Sherry Strauss, said her children were her “everything.”
Assistant District Attorney Irena Zajickova read the statement on Strauss’ behalf as she sat in the gallery of the courtroom.
“In the beginning, I hated you,” Strauss wrote. “I considered you a monster. Today, I no longer hate you. I feel sorry for you.”
The Bishop brothers – 18-year-old Kendred, who went by the name Kirby, and 22-year-old Kendrick, a rap artist signed to Degruy’s record label who performed as MuddyCupBuddy – were gunned down inside a black Kia sedan in the 4800 block of Bright Drive around 5:45 a.m. on May 25, 2015.
Prosecutors said Degruy killed the brothers in retaliation because he thought they stole $8,000 and two guns from his girlfriend’s car a week earlier. Degruy said that wasn’t true, and told the jury his co-defendant was the one who had a problem with Kendred Bishop.
Degruy pinned the murders on Jonathan Evans and Evans’ now deceased cousin. Evans cooperated with law enforcement and testified against Degruy, and received a 20-year sentence for his role in the shooting.
Rapper Widner ‘Flow’ Degruy tells jury, ‘I wouldn’t murder nobody’
Degruy’s phone was at the crime scene, and Assistant District Attorney Alex Calenda said in closing arguments that piece of evidence “started the snowball effect” that eventually led police to name him a suspect.
A New Orleans police officer’s body worn camera recorded a frantic Degruy screaming, “Sir, that’s my (expletive) phone right there,” on the perimeter of yellow crime tape at the homicide scene.
Strauss said in her victim impact statement she was glad Degruy left his phone at the scene, and she was glad the jury saw through his lies. She called him a “sloppy murderer,” and said she was glad her family received justice.
Weeks before his trial on second-degree murder charges, Degruy pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice in the case. He told the jury he lied to police when he didn’t tell them what he knew about the Bishop brothers’ murders.
Flemings-Davillier sentenced Degruy to life without benefit of parole on each of the second-degree murder charges, and to 30 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder. She gave him 40 years for obstruction of justice, and 30 years for conspiracy to obstruct justice.
She ordered the sentences to run concurrent and gave him credit for time served.
Degruy wore an orange jumpsuit in court, and appeared agitated and upset. As Zajickova began to read Strauss’ statement, Degruy wiped a stack of papers off a sheriff deputy’s desk, knocking them to the floor.
The deputies took him away, but quickly brought him back after the attorneys objected.
Calenda said he wanted Degruy in court to hear from the Bishop brothers’ family. Defense attorney C. Gary Wainwright said Degruy was required to be present for his sentencing hearing.
Wainwright filed a notice of Degruy’s intent to appeal his conviction prior to sentencing.
Prosecutors on Tuesday also dismissed two charges against Degruy related to introducing contraband into the Orleans Justice Center.