Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. has sentenced two men for the murder of A$AP Mob member A$AP Press. Seven years after the incident, the New York State Supreme Court found Chester Taylor and Darius Hastings guilty of shooting the Harlem native in the back of his head, causing injuries that led to his death.
Per the press release, both were convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. They were sentenced to 20 years to life in state prison.
In July 2016, A$AP Press reached out to Taylor through a mutual friend because he had the hook up on luxury cars and he needed one for a video shoot. Taylor told the artist he’d able to rent two cars for $1,000. Weeks later, A$AP Press paid most of the rental fee upfront, but Taylor never dropped off either of the cars. Despite A$AP Press’ multiple attempts to get his money back, Taylor consistently snubbed him and refused to give it back.
A series of text messages show that on August 28, 2016, Taylor was getting upset that A$AP Press kept pressing him, which led to a threat. It was then Taylor contacted his longtime friend Hastings and they went to meet up with A$AP Press in Harlem, where they shot the A$AP Mob member in the head.
While he initially survived the shooting, he suffered a fatal seizure in March 18 while attending a music festival in Houston and died. The medical examiner determined that the seizure was a direct result of the head injury sustained in the 2016 shooting.
“Chester Taylor and Darius Hastings shot and killed a young Harlemite with great ambitions, talent and a bright future,” Bragg said. “Although Pressie Taylor Jr. miraculously survived the shooting in its initial aftermath, his life was forever changed. He made a valiant attempt at resuming his life and music career, but unfortunately, he succumbed to the effects of his serious injuries, depriving his family and community of a promising star.
“Thanks to the jury’s careful review of the evidence, both defendants were found to be responsible for his murder, and I hope that the sentences imposed today bring the victim’s family some form of peace.”