Update 02/09/2021 3:22pm:
The woman accused of murdering Beyonce's cousin, rapper Kardone, has been arrested after a two-week search.
The alleged shooter, 21-year-old rapper Sasha Skare, was apprehended last weekend in San Antonio. Kardone's estranged wife, Joia DeRouen, said he was mentoring Sasha Skare after meeting her online.
"He released a mixtape called Trunk Bang, and he wanted some girls for a video shoot and he honestly just met her online," Joia said. "When you know, the video shoot was over. He said, 'Hey, you know, she's interested in music. I think I want to help her out.'"
Despite their separation, Joia and Kardone remained cordial. She grew worried when she couldn't get in touch with the Sony artist and noticed he wasn't promoting an upcoming show.
"I was blowing up his phone, actually texting, calling, trying to even FaceTime," Joia said. "You know, it happened once before where he hadn't responded to me or his family, but we found out that he broke his phone. So that in the back of our mind is what we were thinking. He was supposed to have a show that he was headlining on Saturday but he didn't post anything about it, so, you know, we really got concerned and his step-mom was like, well, I'm going to call a wellness check."
Police discovered Kardone had been shot to death during the wellness check. According to an arrest affidavit, neighbors reported hearing a man and woman argue moments before a gunshot was heard. Investigators say surveillance cameras caught Skare walking along the apartment complex's hallway moments after the alleged shooting.
Sasha Skare is currently being held on a $500,000 bond.
Original 01/29/2021 1:17pm:
Rapper Martell Derouen, 34, who performed under the name Kardone, appeared to have been murdered in his upscale San Antonio apartment complex after police discovered his body on Tuesday (January 26) during a welfare check. Derouen was signed to The Orchard, a label owned by Sony, and in a 2019 article from The Source, Derouen was revealed to be the cousin of Beyonce.
Police identified Sasha Skare, 21, as a suspect after Derouen's body was found. Skare has been connected to Derouen, as she dropped a single in April that he produced. Skare was previously charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a first-degree felony, after her boyfriend, Andrew Bass, was killed in a drug deal gone bad. Investigators believed that Skare set up the deal with the intent to rob the other man, who was hospitalized after also being shot in the incident. Skare has been out on bond since January 2020.
Derouen's wife. Joia, pleaded with the public to help find Skare. She released a statement, which reads, "There is no way to replace him but please help us find this girl. She is dangerous and I do believe she will kill again. If you see her please contact the police."
Source: San Antonio Express News
