The final two co-defendants in the case against rapper Young Thug and his Atlanta associates walked out of court free men on Tuesday after a jury acquitted them on nearly all the charges.
Deamonte Kendrick, also known as Yak Gotti, was acquitted on all nine counts he faced. Shannon Stillwell was cleared on seven of eight counts. He was sentenced to time served for his only conviction, on a gun charge.
Kendrick and Stillwell were the only two defendants who took their chances with the jury in the sprawling trial that became the longest running criminal case in Georgia history. The other defendants, including accused gang leader Young Thug, took plea deals earlier in the case.
It was a quick change of fate for Kendrick, who was stabbed in a jailhouse fight on Sunday but recovered enough to appear in court Monday and Tuesday. Stillwell was also stabbed while detained during the trial, back in December 2023.
“Mr. Kendrick is gonna get out of here,” Kendrick’s attorney, Doug Weinstein, said in a TikTok post. “He is gonna get on with his life. He is going to start making music again, and see his family. It’s a wonderful, glorious day here in Fulton County.”
The verdicts represented a significant blow to the Fulton County district attorney’s office, which announced the case against Young Thug — whose legal name is Jeffrey Williams — and 27 accused gang associates to much fanfare in 2022.
Young Thug, 33, also walked as a free man last month. A judge gave him a 20-year suspended prison sentence, which he will only need to serve if he violates the terms of his 15-year probation.
The trial took nearly two years to complete, with jury selection beginning on Jan. 4, 2023, and ending on Nov. 1, 2023. The jurors who were seated began their deliberations on Nov. 26, 2024, considering only the fates of Kendrick and Stillwell.
While Kendrick was fully acquitted on all charges, including murder and RICO, Stillwell was sentenced to two years in jail and eight years of probation for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He was credited with time served, acquitted on more serious charges including two counts of murder, and walked free.
With News Wire Services
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