Earl Lee listed off a series of his regular activities at his murder sentencing.
Lee said he works. He said he drinks alcohol and smokes weed. And he plays video games.
But Lee told a judge that he did not know David Boykin, a rapper who was known around Baltimore as President Davo — and had no reason to take his life.
“I know I did not kill that man,” Lee said on Tuesday in the Elijah E. Cummings Courthouse. “I promise you: I’m going to prove it.”
Describing the killing as heinous and cold-blooded, Baltimore Circuit Judge Kendra Y. Ausby later sentenced Lee, 28, of Mid-Govans, to life in prison — plus 21 years. He was found guilty of first-degree murder and related crimes.
Boykin, 28, was shot on Oct. 6, 2023, on Cliftwood Avenue between North Washington and North Chester streets, just south of Clifton Park in East Baltimore, and pronounced dead at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
He was one of several hip-hop artists in Baltimore who attracted followings in recent years for their distinctly regional sounds. His most popular track, “I Don’t Wanna Be A Playa,” is a remix of Big Pun’s “Still Not A Player.”
Assistant State’s Attorney Justin Greer pushed for a sentence of life in prison, plus 35 years.
“There’s no doubt,” Greer said, “that this was a premeditated murder.”
Boykin, he said, was beloved. His family members and friends filled the gallery of the courtroom.
Nicole Queen, Boykin’s mother, spoke about the devastation and trauma that the killing has caused her family, adding that loved ones will forever mourn his loss.
Queen read words that her son once wrote doting on his three children. She implored the judge to hand down the maximum sentence.
“I ask that you make this world a safer place,” Queen said.
Lee’s attorney, Paul Kramer, urge the judge to impose a sentence that would allow his client to one day come home.
Two families, he said, have been destroyed.
“I believe he’s innocent,” Kramer said. “The jury did not.”
Lee’s sister and fiancée also addressed the court and asked for leniency.
He must also register as a gun offender.
When Ausby asked him whether he had enough time to read a form that explained the registration requirements, Lee said no.
She then asked if he wanted someone to read the terms to him in open court.
“Not really,” Lee said. “I don’t think it matters.”
