Chinx murder: Suspect pleads guilty to Queens drive-by shooting of rapper
QUEENS - A suspect in the 2015 Queens murder of rapper Chinx, whose real name was Lionel Pickens Jr., has pleaded guilty, according to FOX 5 NY's Lisa Evers.
Quincy Homere, 32, one of two defendants in the case, could face up to 23 years behind bars for the drive-by shooting.
Quincy Homere, 32, also known as "Q" or "Qwality."
According to sources close to the investigation, the alleged shooter -- also known as "Q" or "Qwality" – was envious of Chinx.
Pickens' widow, Janelli Caceres, spoke with FOX 5 NY's Lisa Evers in an exclusive interview.
"It was pretty emotional. I literally cried the whole time sitting there, actually staring at him, because there's so many different thoughts and words are running through your head, and you know you have to keep your composure," Caceres told Evers.
The mother of 3 has been working with NYPD detectives for years to help them find the suspected killers.
Pickens says that she is grateful to the NYPD, the Queens DA and friends and fans for keeping his memory and his music legacy alive.
"A lot of sadness, a lot of hurt, a lot of anger. The DA sat with me most of the time until it was time for him to present, but I was there by myself, so it was a lot," Caceres said.
What happened to Chinx the rapper?
Lionel Pickens Jr. was murdered behind the wheel of his luxury car in Queens after performing at a Brooklyn nightclub in May 2015.
He was signed to French Montana's record label and had a hit record in rotation on hip hop radio mainstay HOT 97.
While rapping, he was also a family man, raising 2 girls and a boy with his wife, Janelli Caceres-Pickens. His career was going so well at the time they had begun looking at houses to buy for their family.
"We definitely believe it should have been at least a murder 2 charge, but unfortunately with the odds that were against us, and the laws of the state of New York, it made it very hard to pursue that," Caceres said.
Rappers Karim "French Montana" Kharbouch and Lionel "Chinx Drugz" Pickens at the Fader Fort at SXSW in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2013. (Photo by Julia Beverly/Getty Images)
In 2017, the Queens District Attorney identified Jamar Hill, 26, of Valley Stream, and Homere, of Baldwin, as suspects in the case.
"My office never gives up in our pursuit of justice. Lionel Pickens, an accomplished recording artist, was senselessly gone down by Quincy Homere… We hope that this sentence will provide the Pickens family with some measure of comfort as they continue to mourn his loss," Queens DA Melinda Katz said in a statement.
Caceres is grateful for the work done by police and prosecutors.
"It's closure for us so now I know there are no more court appearances after this, someone is being held accountable for what happened, so it's a start," Caceres said.
She told FOX 5 she has a sense of relief that there will be no trial.
"A tough situation to put me and my children through, as well as certain family members and friends, because unfortunately we would have had to be part of the case and it would have dragged on for years," Caceres said.
Both Hill and Homere pleaded not guilty at the time.
The two defendants were arraigned on a five-count indictment charging them with one count each of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
The casket or rapper Chinx is seen during his funeral at Greater Allen A.M.E church May 26, 2015 in New York. Lionel Pickens, a.k.a. Chinx was killed May 17 in a drive-by shooting in Queens. AFP PHOTO/DON EMMERT (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/A
The alleged shooters "hunted down Chinx like an animal" because of a dispute they had over a phone on Rikers Island, according to court documents.
Caceres says she's now on the road to healing and plans to be at the sentencing for Homere on Aug. 12.
The case against co-defendant Hill is pending. He is also behind bars on other, unrelated charges in New York.