Joshua Lee Simmons: CA man previously charged in rapper's murder, now accused of 2nd homicide

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Joshua Lee Simmons, a Californian man previously charged with the gruesome murder of an aspiring musician, now faces additional accusations linked to a second homicide in a mysterious shooting.

Earlier this month, Simmons, 37, was charged with the murder of Anthony James Soloc, 50, who was fatally shot in Inglewood, Los Angeles County, in January 2023, Law & Crime reported.

Timeline of Joshua Simmons in the shooting aspiring rapper Javonnta Murphy

This latest charge adds to earlier accusations concerning the murder of Javonnta Marshann Murphy, a 32-year-old aspiring rapper known as Sirtanky, in October 2023. The rapper's body was found sealed in a barrel off the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

Prosecutors contend that Simmons shot Murphy on July 27, 2023, and then disposed of his body in a 55-gallon plastic drum. This grim discovery led to disturbing revelations when the barrel was eventually opened, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Authorities disclosed that the barrel, marked with indications suggesting it originated from a printing company, was found floating in shallow inlet waters of Malibu Lagoon State Beach.

Even though a maintenance worker initially tried to bring it ashore without inspection, a lifeguard eventually opened the container. Inside, they discovered the unclothed victim in a state of limited decomposition.

Patrick Nelson, a family friend who considered himself a quasi-stepfather to Murphy, expressed, "He was a good kid, a good person. He didn't gang-bang. I just don't understand what happened to him."

Joshua Simmons made criminal threats the same day of shooting Javonnta Murphy

Simmons is confronted not only with murder charges but also with accusations of criminal threats on the same day he purportedly shot Murphy. Additionally, the suspect encountered a thwarted jewelry store heist in September 2023.

Adding to the complexity of the case, Dennis Eugene Vance, 41, is accused of being an accessory to Murphy's murder, aiding Simmons in attempting to cover up the crime.

Vance is currently out on a $50,000 bond. Simmons remains behind bars on a $3.275 million bail, and an arraignment in the Soloc case is scheduled for this Friday, January 26.