Widner “Flow” Degruy was sentenced Tuesday (May 14) to life in prison in the 2015 double murder of brothers Kendred and Kendrick Bishop in New Orleans East.
Degruy, 27, was convicted April 8 of two counts of second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder. A jury deliberated about 1 ½ hours before convicting Degruy, a rapper signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money record label, in 11-1 verdicts.
He pleaded guilty earlier to obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice in the case. In an impact statement read before Criminal District Judge Tracey Flemings-Davillier handed down Degruy’s sentence, the brothers’ mother, Sherry Strauss, said her children were her “everything.”
Assistant District Attorney Irena Zajickova read the statement on Strauss’ behalf as she sat in the gallery of the courtroom. “In the beginning, I hated you,” Strauss wrote. “I considered you a monster. Today, I no longer hate you. I feel sorry for you.”
The Bishop brothers – 18-year-old Kendred, who went by the name Kirby, and 22-year-old Kendrick, a rap artist signed to Degruy’s record label who performed as MuddyCupBuddy – were gunned down inside a black Kia sedan in the 4800 block of Bright Drive around 5:45 a.m. on May 25, 2015.
Prosecutors said Degruy killed the brothers in retaliation because he thought they stole $8,000 and two guns from his girlfriend’s car a week earlier. Degruy said that wasn’t true, and told the jury his co-defendant was the one who had a problem with Kendred Bishop. Degruy pinned the murders on Jonathan Evans and Evans’ now deceased cousin. Evans cooperated with law enforcement and testified against Degruy, and received a 20-year sentence for his role in the shooting.
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