Sasha Skare, the Texas woman accused of killing Beyoncé’s cousin, was on Friday sentenced to 55 years in prison after a jury found her guilty of murder. According to Revolt, the victim, identified as Martell Derouen, was an up-and-coming rapper who went by the stage name Kardone.
Skare, 23, was convicted after she opted to not accept a plea deal that would have landed her a 20-year prison sentence. “The pain and agony you brought upon my family is unbearable. Fix your sheets, if you have any, because you’ve made your bed, and now it’s time for you to lay in it,” Martell’s sister, Kami Derouen, told Skare in her victim impact statement, KSAT reported.
The deceased rapper’s estranged wife, Joia Derouen, also expressed regret over his death during the trial. “I do have some type of hurt in my heart because I feel like if [Martell and I] would have never broken up, this would have never happened,” Joia said.
Skare initially told the court that she and Kardone got into a physical altercation during an argument at his San Antonio apartment on January 22, 2021. She claimed the deceased rapper repeatedly hit and choked her before she was able to flee his home with a phone and firearm. Text messages that were provided to the court during the trial revealed that Kardone asked Skare to return the gun and come for her stuff.
Skare claimed the gun went off when she returned to his home and was knocking on his door. The deceased rapper suffered a gunshot wound to the head, per Revolt. Police found his body four days later during a welfare check.
“My intent was just to get his attention,” Skare testified. “As I was knocking on the door, I just threw the gun up, and it just shot.”
