Silentó has broken his silence after he was sentenced to 30 years in prison in connection with the 2021 fatal shooting of his cousin Frederick Rooks.
In a statement shared by his publicist Chanel Hudson-O’Connor, Silentó says, “I will continue to make music and work on becoming the best possible version of myself. I can’t reverse time, but I can serve the time I’ve been given lawfully, and strive to positively contribute to whatever my new environment may be.”
“I entered this industry as a teenager, often without proper guidance or direction. While that is not an excuse, it is part of my truth,” he continued. “I pray for growth, evolution, and the ability to find forgiveness — for myself and for this entire situation. God bless y’all.”
Silentó, born Ricky Lamar Hawk, entered a guilty plea Wednesday for charges including voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and concealing the death of another, according to DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston.
“This was not a crime of passion or a crime of a morally depraved person. He was mentally ill,” Hawk’s attorney, Keith Adams, told ABC News. “Unfortunately, Ricky’s mental illness has been an issue since the age of 12, even during his success as an artist and beyond.”
“The benefit of him pleading to voluntary manslaughter is that it makes him eligible for parole sometime within the next decade or so,” Adams explained. “If he had been convicted of murder, he would not have been eligible for parole for at least 30 years.”
Due to the nature of his plea, Hawk will likely be placed in a facility equipped to address his mental health needs.
He will be transferred to the Georgia Diagnostic Center, where all state prisoners undergo initial processing. According to Adams, officials there will determine his permanent placement among the state’s specialized mental health facilities.
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