A Texas woman charged in the 2021 killing of Beyoncé’s cousin, up-and-coming rapper Kardone, learned her fate when a jury returned a guilty verdict in the murder case on Friday (Sept. 1). After a four-day trial and four and a half hours of deliberation, Sasha Skare, 23, was sentenced to 55 years in prison for the fatal shooting of the artist, whose real name is Martell Derouen.

According to KSAT, Skare declined a plea deal for a 20-year prison sentence a week before the sentencing. “The pain and agony you brought upon my family is unbearable. Fix your sheets, if you have any, because you’ve made your bed, and now it’s time for you to lay in it,” Kami Derouen, Martell’s sister, said to Skare as she read her victim impact statement on Friday.

The rapper’s mother, Melissa Davis, his father, Lenard Derouen, and his estranged wife, Joia Derouen, testified that he was loved by many and known for being there for others in their time of need. “I do have some type of hurt in my heart because I feel like if [Martell and I] would have never broken up, this would have never happened,” Joia said.

Skare testified on Wednesday (Aug. 30) that she and Kardone were involved in a heated argument that turned physical on Jan. 22, 2021, at his San Antonio apartment. She alleged that he struck her several times and choked her before she managed to flee his residence with her cellphone and a gun he had in the nightstand. During the trial, text messages revealed that Kardone told her to return the firearm and to collect her belongings.

After some time, she returned to his apartment and began knocking on the door when she alleged the gun went off. “My intent was just to get his attention,” Skare said while on the stand. “As I was knocking on the door, I just threw the gun up, and it just shot.” Kardone suffered a single gunshot wound to the head. His body was found four days later, on Jan. 26, when police were asked to do a welfare check.